Three student-led clubs at Palo Alto High School are gearing up to make an impact in a world increasingly focused on the activist movements of young people challenging representation, environmental conservation, and equity in leadership. Women Representation in Media, Ocean Conservation Awareness Club, and Women in Automotive Leadership all have activism playing a major role in them. They are run by passionate young women who want to inspire change in their community.
DRIVING CHANGE TOGETHER: Club leaders Manasvi Noronha (right) and Alice Jambon (left) discuss their opinions about the automative industry during their weekly club meeting during lunch in room 851. (Amily Zhang)
Women in Automotive Leadership Club
Another club making a strong impact is the Women in Automotive Leadership Club, run by Manasvi Noronha and Alice Jambon, who meet at lunch on Tuesdays in room 851. It seeks to spotlight the automotive industry, sparking interest among young women in a STEM field that’s often underrepresented.
“We talk about cars and the automotive industry to try to get people interested in it,” Noronha said. “I’m really interested in cars myself, and I’ve noticed that there are a lot of girls at Paly who are as well, but they don’t have a space to talk about it, so I wanted to help create that space and help people share the experience.”
Their club format attempts to educate while having fun.
“Every other week we watch a movie, racing, or something related to cars and then the meeting after, we do a lecture about types of cars, suspension, or super niche things that people are interested in learning about,” Noronha said.
Women Representation in Media Club
The Women Representation in Media Club, led by Alana Chun and Charlotte Meyer, meets at lunch Thursdays in room 708. Their mission is clear: to examine and challenge how women are portrayed in film, TV, and social media and raise awareness about the impact these portrayals have on society’s views of women.
“Our club is for girls and guys in our community to meet and watch different movies and TV show clips and discuss how they portray women, the impact they have on girls, and their precipitation of women in general,” Chun said. “We were inspired to start this club because we’re both interested in going down the journalism path and we wanted to empower our community and educate people about how people’s views of girls and women change because of movies and social media.”
Looking ahead, the club plans to focus on the recent presidential election in their meetings, Meyer said.
To further their mission, Chun shared that the club plans to gather input of members and find an organization that they’re all passionate about helping.
Ocean Conservation Awareness Club
The Ocean Conservation Awareness Club, led by Caroline Lee and Courtney Taylor, meets at lunch bi-weekly on the first and third Mondays of the month in room 304. They’re dedicated to raising awareness about protecting the ocean and its ecosystems. Both leaders share a joy for marine life and preserving clean oceans and beaches, and they aim to bring that enthusiasm to the Paly community.
“We wanted to start this club because we’re really passionate about the ocean and beaches and we think that being able to have a clean ocean is something everyone wants to have and enjoy,” Lee said.
Taylor added that the club is not only for ocean enthusiasts but also for anyone interested in science.
“We want to spread awareness to all kids at Paly and anyone passionate, not just about ocean awareness, but also about marine biology in general,” Taylor said.
The club meetings are interactive and fun, featuring presentations, trivia, and discussions around specific ocean-related topics, according to Taylor.
One of their upcoming initiatives is the “Fish Line Project,” which aims to reduce ocean pollution by setting up recycling bins for fishing lines on local beaches.
“We’ll build the bins and we can put them on the beaches,” Lee said.
In addition, the club will host guest speakers and organize documentary watchings to educate members further and inspire action toward ocean conservation.