By Taylor Conley

As many Tempe Prep students struggle with predicaments such as procrastination, mental health, and studying skills, there’s a club that strives to help with these. HOPE Crew has been creating a safe space for high schoolers since 2010. Mrs. Magaña took on the club after Mrs. Pittman, a past drama teacher, left in 2011. The club openly discusses social issues, mental health, empowerment of youth, and current events. H.O.P.E. stands for Honoring Others’ Perspectives Equally, which is exactly what the club does every Monday in room 403 during high school lunch. It provides healthy and inclusive dialogue.

The group develops specific topics while Mrs. Magaña mediates. Mrs. Magaña, who is well versed in social work, enjoys seeing the passion about different subjects that come from a diverse range of students each year. “It’s nice to see that you guys all have differences, because when you’re in uniform it’s hard to see that.” During her own high school experience, Mrs. Magaña found it nice to just create dialogue with her friends and classmates in clubs. By joining HOPE Crew, students have the ability to openly share their opinions and ideas with people they may normally not talk to often. The club connects people who experience different aspects of life. One can learn how to agree with people who have radically different ideas than they do.

Commenting on interesting activities the club takes on, Anna Melis, a junior and frequent club member said, “A few weeks ago, Mrs. Magaña gave us these little papers and they had clouds and you were supposed to write with colored pencil all the things you were stressed out about… and then it got really chaotic.” The meaning of this activity was to consider all of one’s present worries and think how they could alleviate stress. Students who procrastinate and find difficulty stopping can get help with their issues. A club like HOPE Crew is very valuable for TPA students.

Being able to take on school stress could be very helpful for most TPA students. For this past month, HOPE Crew has been discussing mental health, stress, procrastination, and anxiety; everything that comes with being a teenager. They learn different skills about dealing with these things and ways to help peers, too. In the past, the club has discussed the Flint, Michigan, water crisis, student refugee opportunities, and religion. “It makes my Monday better,” Anna said.

Mrs. Magaña and frequent club members encourage more of their classmates to stop by and openly speak about topics that interest them. Since the club doesn’t have a fee, anyone can stop by on any of the meeting days. Mrs. Magaña said, “It’s just important that students know that there is a group where they’ll be accepted no matter what.”