By: Victoria Mariani-Mezera
Society Speaks is a newer club at Apopka High School. The club is run by Jonathan Datiz, who is in 12th grade. Jonathan is not only in Society Speaks, but also participates in SCC, NEHS, NHS, and the Collab Club Council. He was born in Orlando Florida, and describes himself as an avid music and podcast listener, and says he enjoys learning about things with purpose. He created the club in order to help bring students together to combat societal issues. When asked about what the club stands for, Jonathan responded, “The club is simply about the good combatting the evil. It’s about showing that we are a new generation that is above any racism, discrimination, prejudices, or social injustice of any kind.”
Jonathan said he was inspired to create the club because he felt that there was “such a void that needed to be filled in America, but on a lesser scale in Apopka, in terms of equality and discrimination.” He also mentioned how after the death of Terrence Crutcher, he was “brought to tears”, and felt the need to do something to ensure nothing like that would happen in his community.
For those who don’t know, the death of Terrence Crutcher was one of many tragic and needless deaths in America. On the day of 9-16-16 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Terrence Crutcher was shot and killed. Terrence was a 40 year old black man, a father of four, and was unarmed at the time of the encounter. The encounter began with what should have been a routine traffic matter, but when Crutcher began to walk with his hands in the air to his car, he was shot with a gun and hit with a Taser. This event sparked outrage in the community, as many believed there was no need for the event to have escalated the way it did. The officer who shot him, 43 year old Betty Shelby, was charged with first-degree manslaughter. However, officer Shelby was found not guilty and was acquitted.
Jonathan says that the club is important to him because “We all know the current state of our country, with overt racism and hate spreading in the post desegregation era. There always needs to be something to go against the evil that is around us, and as of right now, I feel people are waiting for a leader or a movement, and this can be just that.” That is an overall empowering and positive message that the world needs right now. He says another value of the club is spreading love to one another. With such positive messages, it’s a shock that even more students are not involved. The club has just under 100 members, but Jonathan feels that everyone who agrees with these messages should agree join the club.
Along with carrying an important message, the club also seems to be enjoyable. When asked about what things there are in store for the club, Jonathan answered that he would like to show things like movies, documentaries, and more entertaining things. They talk about current events in the news, which there are plenty of, and they like to focus on important events that bring people together. The members of the club are getting the word out by using things such as social media, morning announcements, and word of mouth.
Overall, the Society Speaks club has a valuable message. The club stands against hate and works to bring people together. It allows students to get involved with or learn about societal issues that perhaps they didn’t know they could help with. Students in high school should be allowed to form opinions and thoughts about important events that will impact them, and this club does just that. If anyone is interested, they should definitely go to a meeting and check out the Society Speaks club.