Many girls share high school memories of quiet chattering, secret stares, and trying hard not to laugh for silly things while the teacher is talking. However, The ‘Girl Up Club’ is a place for high school girls to share their ideas to build the world into a more beautiful and just place.
Girl Up Clubs are special because they provide a platform for young women to come together and support gender justice and girls’ empowerment. The club creates a supportive community where members can engage in discussion, organize events, and work towards making a positive impact in their local communities and beyond. By becoming a member of ‘Girl Up Club’, students have the opportunity to enhance their voices, develop leadership skills, and contribute to meaningful changes in the world. The Girl Up Club at Piscataway High School meets every Friday after school.
“Girl Up is a club focuses on helping not just girls in our community, but girls around the world as well,” said Danika Carranza, president of the PHS Girl Up Club. “Organizing events is a really fun way to make everyone connected more.”
“The Girl Up Club is currently working on a project to put up signs like little notes on bathrooms and Locker room mirrors, both girls and boys locker rooms and bathrooms,” said Mahi, member of Girl Up club. “We are doing this project for women’s history month to encourage everyone and make everyone feel better.”
“I want to help make the Girl Up Club a big success at PHS, because I think that issues around girls are really important,” said Niti, Event Coordinator of PHS Girl Up Club. “Also one of the club’s biggest goals is to raise money for girls around the world.”
“This year we did ’The Girls’ Night’ event, which is something we have never done before and I think that is really fun way to make everyone connected little more,” said Danika Carranza, president of the PHS Girl Up Club. “I saw lots of people who have never spoken before with me at that event and I think it could help our community just connect with one another and meet new people that they probably had not met before.”
“Students can get involved with Girl Up’s most recent project (little posters on the mirrors), just by seeing them,” said Gracy, member of PHS Girl Up club.
“I think Girl Up benefits not just girls but also guys,” said Gracy, a member of Girl Up club. “Both girls and guys needed to be treated equal[ly]… and guys need to see that girls want equality.”
“A Lot of people, like in school and out of school kid of look down on Girl Up Club, because they find that being feminist or empowering women kind of embarrassing,” said Mahi, member of PHS Girl Up Club. “I think for the most part Girl Up is very well supported by teachers and people throughout the school and also by students.”
“What inspired me to join Girl Up was when I learned that Girl Up creates events and hosts meetings that are always working towards helping and appreciating women,“ said Shania Tewarson, a member of PHS Girl Up Club. “I think that’s really inspiring seeing people help others and that is why I joined Girl Up.”
This story was originally published on The Chieftain on May 8, 2024.
![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)