On August 22, 2019, Cass’s new club, H.O.P.E. (also known as Hispanic Organization Promoting Education), hosted their first-ever meeting in the theater. Many students arrived to get a firsthand glimpse of the new organization.

Officers Ana Garibay (President), Anadeli Vasquez (Vice President of Development), Lennet Sanabria (Vice President of Communications), and Andrea Escalante (Vice President of Service) began the meeting by introducing themselves, the club, and its morals. Ana Garibay began by stating that she wants the club to feel like a family and wants it to be something each student looks forward to going to at the end of the day.

After opening with a few messages, they launched an ice breaker to lighten the mood and acquaint the new members. Students were told to divide into groups of six and act out silly gestures, such as “take a thirty-second nap” and “lift the lightest person in the group up and shout ‘Long live the Queen!’” The first three groups that completed fifteen out of nineteen (they could choose any fifteen) actions received prizes.

After this, the students were given important dates before doing another group activity to meet their groupmates; students revealed what they had in common to get to know each other and to strengthen their bond. Everyone also sang “Happy Birthday” to the August babies, an idea that President Ana Garibay plans on doing throughout the year. “We’re serious about [the club] being like a family. We’re going to do this for every month.” This small gesture is just one of the many ways to help the students feel like they are part of a family rather than part of a club.

Feeling like a family is one of the most important virtues of H.O.P.E. Lennet Sanabria, the Vice President of Communications, said, “Being of a different ethnicity in the United States is frustrating. We feel left out, ignored, unmotivated. Promoting clubs for these people gives them something to belong to. A home to go to. Someone to talk to. It’s important to know that they belong and can achieve anything regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or race.”

Students ate pizza, danced, sang, and enjoyed the atmosphere together during the assembly, and it felt more like a party than a typical meeting. Many students attended the event, and the officers did not realize how many people they would attract. “If I’m being completely honest,” Sanabria said, “I was expecting less [students]. But the fact that we had a great number of students show up was amazing. I’m so proud of every student that showed up to prove me wrong.”

Although the organization is aimed towards Hispanics, students of all backgrounds and ethnicities are encouraged to come. Daud Shahid, a senior, was one of the students that attended the meeting despite not being Hispanic. “It was actually amazing,” Shahid stated. “The ice breaker was a good thing to get us going!” Like many others, he believes it is important to go to clubs that support other ethnicities outside of your own. “It’s a way to hear the widespread of different ethnicities in our school!”

The officers hope the club will motivate students, as well as expand and continue to be a family long after they graduate. Sanabria said, “Hopefully, we leave a good legacy and pass on something good for it to last years at Cass High School.”

If you are looking to become a member, you can go to https://forms.gle/zjfixXiZY289hvf48 or contact Mrs. Betancourt or Mr. Hoeksema, the club’s advisors.

You can also follow H.O.P.E. on several social media platforms, including Instagram (casshigh_hope) and Snapchat (casshigh.hope).