On Dec. 11, Cherokee’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) attended its first party of the school year: a holiday party, which was affectionately nicknamed the “holi-gay” party. It was held at Lenape High School and was made up of GSAs from Lenape, Cherokee, and Shawnee. Seneca’s club was invited as well, but they were unable to make it.
In comparison to past years, this party was much larger. Last year, Cherokee hosted the holiday party, but only two students from Lenape’s GSA were able to attend. Over 40 students were in attendance for this year’s party, and it made all of the festivities much more enjoyable for the group.
Lenape’s GSA officers had set up a multitude of board games to play while the students were arriving, including Apples to Apples, Jenga, and Uno. Students were able to split up into groups to play various games, while meeting new people and making new friends. The officers also planned a huge Jeopardy game to play. The categories ranged from “Queer Celebrities” to “Queer Pop Culture.” The three schools went against each other to earn points in the classic Jeopardy style. In the end, Cherokee ended up taking home the win.
The GSA parties are incredibly important to the students. They allow those who may be slightly scared or shy about their identities to be proud, and to see people who identify the same way. It can be scary to identify outside of “the norms” but attending the GSA parties allows students to meet people just like them, and make friends across high schools.
Cherokee’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance is always accepting new members. The members meet biweekly, on Thursdays during Lunch and Learn. They generally have 3-4 after school parties per year, with schools from across the district. If you want to know more about the club, join the classroom with the code: 3me3gnb, contact the club’s advisor, Mrs. Molloie, or contact any of the four student officers: Jamie Yermish, Olivia Zink, Stacey Gruber, and Lila Zink.
