By Maggie Inglesby

When senior Alex Hakim went to a meeting where Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence talked about the club No Place for Hate, she decided to bring the national club to PA.

“It was really inspirational for me and it was like I was at that meeting for a reason,” said Hakim, who is currently acting president.

The club’s first objective is to get the entire school to sign a petition promising to make PA an inclusive school centered around kindness and standing up against bullying. 

Hakim’s main objective however is going to be easing the divide between IB and non-IB students at PA. 

“There are currently a lot of hostile feelings between the two, so for me that’s the thing I really want to help because for me we’re all students at PA. We all take classes, we all go through the struggle of homework, and we all deal with teachers that we don’t like and teachers that we love. It’s just school,” said Hakim

Junior Lonni Howard feels the same and also wants to improve the relationship between the two groups.

“I have noticed what a lot of zoned students have noticed which is separation from IB because I feel it in my classes,” said Howard. 

Howard also said “I think it will provide an opportunity to create an environment that is good for everyone,” and she hopes that the club will continue for a long time.

Math teacher Jaclyn Stroud is the teacher sponsor for the club and Hakim approached her after she heard about the club from Dr. Spence. 

“I really commend her drive and her passion has been amazing this entire time,” said Stroud, “she was dead set on making it come true and im just here to help her along the way.”

“My whole thing is loving everyone and making sure everyone has a friend and i think this club will really push that,” said Hakim.