With an increasing wave of activism in the past decade, a younger demographic has become visibly prominent in the many efforts for reform and justice. Here at Doral Academy, a new club has been formed known as the Social Reform Club which seeks to do just that, social reform. Led by its president Mariana Cortes, the club wants to better tomorrow and inspire others in doing the same.

Recently, we at Firebird Digital had the time to talk to her and explore some of the things she wants to achieve with the help of the establishment of this club. Cortes believes it is vital to “…listen to ideas presented by the members and begin social change through at a smaller level because we believe ideas should gradually be expanded into society, so there is time to reach a middle ground in controversies within movements. Through informing about these movements and how to achieve activism in a healthy manner we encourage our members to participate in societal changes.”

The social reform club also allows for students to attain a platform to be vocal about social issues. Cortes explained that in their meetings, they “…discuss with the club members different ways that we can take actionable steps to solve issues within our school community. For example, we plan on working with outside organizations in order to get free menstrual products in all the bathrooms in every building, and we are pushing to rewrite the student dress code to be non-gendered.” This exemplifies how they seek to tackle issues from a lower level to eventually be expanded into the larger societal structure.

Furthermore, the club seeks out to teach its members how to be socially active in a beneficial way that furthers the efforts of social movements. Mariana explained: “We encourage our members to approach every controversial issue from both sides in order to understand multiple perspectives and eventually reach a middle ground that can then be taken to the point where we create actionable change. This benefits our members because they can take these skills and put them out into the real world where they talk about issues that aren’t discussed as a club.” This allows for there to be an actual conversation about the issues at hand instead of there being a polarized argument in which the middle ground she speaks about can’t be reached.

With the rise of social media as a fundamental aspect that has taken part in the spread of ideas and information that has allowed people all around the country to converge around social issues, a problem also presents itself – performative activism. This is activism done to increase one’s social capital rather than because of one’s devotion to a cause. However, Cortes and the other board members of the club advise their members against this. She explained: “We are discussing with our members different ways in which social media can be used so that it helps bring multiple perspectives together rather than split them further. We are actually encouraging members to communicate with people around them about controversial issues by bringing in experienced speakers to inform our members on these topics so they become more familiarized with them and can speak about them on social media with a more educated approach.”

The legacy the social reform club would create at Doral Academy is undeniable. Promoting collaboration and discussion is key for change, according to Cortes. Members are encouraged to take action and make decisions, whether it may be small or large. Cortes explained that she and the club as a whole “strives for members to take in ideas and, as they move through their lives, spread them further out of the community and teach others how to act on these issues along with them.”

Essentially, this is a club that has a long road ahead of itself as it builds a platform for students from the ground up but it is exemplar of the ambition and passion from students to seek change in our society for the better.