Clubs Focus on Discussion over Division

This article was written by Rishik Kapoor ’27 and originally published in the February 2026 issue of The ReMarker student newspaper (page 10).

Discussion-based clubs and groups on campus serve as outlets for students to engage in structured civil discourse.

Across the U.S., schools are transforming into microcosms of a nation defined by deepening political and sectional division. As partisan ideals disperse nationwide, political clubs such as Club America and the rival group Dream for America represent the national movements that have rapidly expanded onto high school campuses.

At the school, however, political and social engagement takes a noticeably different form. Rather than affiliating with partisan groups, students are encouraged to participate in discussion-based clubs or groups that don’t focus on differences. These spaces are intentionally structured to foster open discussion and critical thinking without advancing a political agenda or sowing discord in the school community.

This emphasis on constructive dialogue is clearly reflected in clubs such as the Political Forum Club, a club in which students debate each other on current events and their implications through open, cordial discussion.
“Political forum is great because it provides an opportunity for students and faculty to openly voice their opinions without being afraid of backlash,” junior Azim Moosa said. “It’s a chance to share what you think while also learning from people with different viewpoints, and I think that open discussion is central to learning.”

Moosa emphasized that this openness is not just about sharing opinions, but also about how disagreement is handled within the community. Political Forum allows students to engage honestly with differing perspectives while maintaining mutual respect, an approach that encourages viewpoint diversity and strengthens the community.

“We aren’t afraid of disagreement. This open conversation is great for the band of brothers that is the school’s community because even if individuals have conflicting viewpoints on certain topics, we can accept our differences, and that isn’t something you see in partisan areas,” Moosa said. “We grow together, despite our differences, because we aren’t afraid to share our opinions. That is something that is unique to the school.”

At the core of the school’s encouragement of conversation and its decision to avoid partisan or selective clubs is its mission of fostering a strong sense of community and brotherhood among its diverse group of students.

“The mission driven commitment that we have at the school informs the decision about activism, but it also informs the decision about affinity groups too, because our commitment is to the community,” Associate Headmaster John Ashton said. “If there’s an issue impacting one of us or a handful of us, it’s impacting all of us, and we all need to be around the table together.”

Ashton emphasized that this philosophy of “no affinity groups” places responsibility for belonging on the entire community rather than on specific individuals. In his view, fostering inclusion is a shared obligation of everyone on campus, not just small subsets of students.

“We are all responsible for creating a sense of belonging for every boy and every adult on campus,” Ashton said. “As a school, our commitment is to everyone on this campus and the school’s community as a whole. Everything we do is guided by strengthening that sense of community and belonging.”

The school recognizes the fact that affinity groups can be beneficial for other schools in fostering belonging. However, the school views affinity groups as a way for divisions to rise among students that detract from the school community.

“Some schools believe affinity groups help strengthen community, and that can work in their context,” Ashton said. “For us, over decades, we’ve placed priority on the collective and everyone’s sense of well-being. Our approach has always emphasized community-wide responsibility rather than institutionalized subgroups.”
This emphasis on unity does not mean ignoring difference, but rather recognizing it within a shared institutional framework in places like clubs and Chapel. The school’s approach to religion is an example of how diversity is acknowledged without any forms of division.

“We’re a non-sectarian school, but all faiths are acknowledged, celebrated, and taught about. That strengthens us as a community,” Ashton said. “We all find people with similar interests. We might gravitate, on our own, to guys who share things with us, where there’s hobbies and interests to identity, to background, to religion. Institutionally, however, our commitment is to everyone on this campus. We’re about the idea of us.”

This goal of acknowledging differences among students in the community led to the formation of the Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council (IDLC), a student leadership body designed to promote belonging across the entire campus. Rather than organizing students into affinity groups, the IDLC provides a forum for diverse perspectives to be represented.

"About six years ago, before IDLC existed, we sat down with a group of mostly seniors and juniors and asked a mission-oriented question: What kind of leadership structure could strengthen belonging for everyone?” Ashton said. “IDLC was born from that conversation. Today, it is hugely impactful and reflects the full diversity of our community.”

Even with structures like the IDLC in place, students sometimes suggest creating affinity groups. Ashton believes these moments are great opportunities to guide the conversation and students towards helping achieve the school’s broader mission of community-wide inclusion.

“Students would ask about starting affinity groups from time to time. We would redirect them and ask, ‘Well, what are you trying to achieve?’” Ashton said. “‘How could we achieve that in another way that aligns with our mission, versus doing something that’s not consistent with our approach with regard to community building?’”

The school’s emphasis on collective responsibility shapes its ultimate goal of preparing students for manhood and being a providing member of society.

“Community over individual,” Ashton said. “As an individual, I have to think about how I steward so that everyone feels belonged and I make the world around me a more inclusive and better place.”