There’s a new club on the block! The Young Republicans club came to SMCHS this semester and is unlike any other club on campus.

This club provides students an experience similar to that of being involved in a political party. Moreover, it prepares students to have an informed opinion on current political topics, a skill that is not only useful now, but will be treasured for a lifetime once students grow older and reach voting age.

“It’s best [for students] to choose for themselves instead of what their parents are doing,” said club moderator Carolyn Bien. “I think when they are in a Young Republicans club or a Young Democrats club, they can focus on what their beliefs are and who they’re becoming as an individual.”

When juniors Tanner Strauss and Morgan Yurosek took charge of the club, they were excited to bring back an organization that hadn’t been active at SMCHS for years.

“Morgan and I got the club started in January,” Strauss said. “It was something we had been thinking about doing since the fall, and when second semester started, we decided to get it going. It has been on campus technically before, but there was nobody to pass it forward to, so we basically brought it back.”

The club meets each month to discuss political events and the Republican party’s opinion on them. Even if you do not feel fully prepared to dive into the political conversation, fear not.

“I think it is a fun thing if it is something that you’re interested in,” Strauss said. “It’s a great thing to participate in because you are able to talk to other people with the same interests. Anyone who doesn’t know about politics is welcome to come as well to learn more and form an opinion on what is happening in the world.”

In this day and age, it is becoming increasingly important for teenagers to know what is going on in the world around them, especially as young peoples’ knowledge on history and politics progressively decreases.

In 2008, The New York Times surveyed roughly 1200 17-year-olds about basic American history and political questions. Surprisingly, 25 percent of teens did not know who Adolf Hitler was. But not only do these teens lack knowledge about our nations’ past, they also lack interest in our nations’ present.

When asked about one’s political opinion, it is easy for a high school student to say they simply do not care or to state the political party that their parents are affiliated. However, it is important for young people to form their own opinions on the issues in the world around them, and as the only political club on campus, the Young Republicans club provides students the perfect opportunity to do just that.

“It is a fairly new club, so the people who are in the club as of now are mainly our friends or the people who hear about it in the announcements,” Strauss said.  “It is pretty small right now, and we are really hoping to boost our participation.”

If this sounds like an opportunity you are interested in, be on the lookout in the daily announcements for the next club meeting you can attend.

“There are different flavors of republicans and that’s what’s making [the club] diverse,” Bien said. “It’s making [students] solid [in their beliefs] and who they want to be as a Republican or it’s making them question why they’re Republican. I think that’s really powerful and a good thing.”