Club Spotlight: Amnesty Club

The Amnesty Club at Hastings High School is a sect of an international organization to raise awareness about human rights crises around the world and is an opportunity for students to work alongside other charities and fundraise for them. Mr. Brad Hunt, the faculty advisor of Amnesty, is coming up on his 18th year with the club, although Amnesty has been ongoing at Hastings for 40+ years.

“Each year, we tend to do a mix of [projects]. We usually do something local, something international, as well as something that specifically supports Amnesty International,” says Mr. Hunt.

Shira Oppenheimer, a junior at the high school and co-president of Amnesty explains how “every year, [the club] works with Afya,” a medical supply organization to help countries in need, “to sort medical supplies as well as donate them,” which is one of the more local acts of service the club does consistently. 

As Katie Strutton, another junior and co-president, recalls, “some of the club’s past achievements were raising money for child soldiers in the Armenian/Azerbaijan war,” and during her freshman year, “[the club] raised enough money to get surgery for two or three teen soldiers.” Katie expresses how “although this may not be a [major] difference, it changed the course of those children’s lives,” and it was gratifying to see the club’s work actively impacting individuals. 

A particular goal of the club for this school year is to partner with the National Art Honors Society for an art auction as a form of fundraising for a certain charity, says Shira, and to work with a new organization that addresses a cause that everyone feels especially passionate about. 

Shira explains how the club is also “currently working with Yale on the Graphix Project,” which is a joint effort to construct a comic book that “highlights the work of human rights activists” to inform a wider audience of humanitarian crises.

             “[The graphic novel will] depict human rights issues in a way that can be understood by children across the world,” says Riya Chandra, an HHS junior and co-president of the Amnesty club. 

            Harin Lee, another HHS junior and co-president, highlights “Write for Rights,” a recurring Amnesty project and part of a larger writing campaign. Mr. Hunt explains how this campaign is usually “geared towards people who are persecuted for political activism” and club members write letters to representatives to raise awareness about these individuals and advocate for them.

         If you are interested in these kinds of projects, then join Amnesty! The club meets every Tuesday at 2:45 in room 228, and students can go to Mr. Hunt, Riya Chandra, Harin Lee, Shira Oppenheimer, or Katie Strutton with questions.