During COVID-19, new student organizations have emerged to tackle the biggest issues facing the younger generation. Though COVID-19 has limited their abilities to hold events in person, these organizations have been able to reach hundreds of people across Montgomery County and Maryland.
One such organization includes MoCo for Public Health (MCPH), an organization dedicated to raising awareness about global public health issues. Their website contains presentations and articles that inform the audience about topics like Diabetes and the COVID-19 vaccine. In the past, MCPH has also invited experts in the field to educate and share information about topics such as Cardiac Arrest.
Another organization created during COVID-19 is MoCo Against Brutality (MCAB), led by three Richard Montgomery High School seniors who aim to end police brutality. They have held town halls, community meetings and plan on hosting many more events. One of their main focuses over the past few months was the removal of School Resource Officers (SROs), or police officers present in school. To raise awareness, MCAB has held many information zoom sessions to inform others about the current situation with SROs and why they believe SROs should be removed from schools.
Overall, these new organizations, along with many others, have been able to flourish due to the new technology created during quarantine mandates. Zoom, a popular webinar session, has allowed organizations to host events virtually and connect with a broader audience.
However, there are also drawbacks from the virtual platform. “I think student activism has definitely struggled a bit because people haven’t been able to get together,” Winston Churchill High School senior Julien Higgins said. “Everything has been through Zoom, which is less effective.”
Nonetheless, although the past year has presented many challenges, especially for student activists, the students have been able to utilize the tools available to them and advocate for what they believe in.
Written by Maya Bhattiprolu of Winston Churchill High School
Graphic by Tatiana Diomi of John F. Kennedy High School