The CHS chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) held its inaugural meeting Oct. 10 to discuss its goals for the year.

Senior Zoe Dobkin founded the club after working for the D.C. affiliate of the ACLU this past summer.

“I like the views they stand for—civil liberties for everybody,” Dobkin said. “I think that’s important, and I want to make sure that civil liberties are being represented everywhere.”

Currently, the club’s main goal is to oppose the proposed Montgomery County curfew for teenagers.

“That’s our number one issue because that’s the thing that affects us the most at the moment,” Dobkin said. “We’re a high school affiliate, so issues dealing with teenagers are definitely going to be a major priority for us.”

The club officers attended a town hall meeting Oct. 12 to oppose the curfew. Dobkin is against the curfew because she believes that it is an infringement on the civil liberties of minors, that it will create tension between parents and police officers, and that it will create distrust between teenagers and police officers, as well as between teenagers and parents.

Besides combatting the curfew, Dobkin’s other goals for the club include rallying for D.C. statehood and supporting the reintroduction of the same-sex marriage bill in Maryland.

Dobkin would also like to develop a lecture series for the club, which would include Mary Beth Tinker speaking about Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, a Supreme Court case that centered on Tinker’s suspension from school in 1965 for wearing a black armband in protest of the Vietnam War. Tinker ultimately won the case with help from the ACLU.

Club members attended a rally and a march for D.C. statehood with the ACLU of the Nation’s Capital Oct. 15. Dobkin feels strongly about D.C. statehood because she believes that people who live in D.C. should be able to elect congressional representatives.

“There are citizens who don’t have the most basic form of democratic rights, which is the right to vote, and it’s an issue that a lot of people don’t know about,” Dobkin said.

Senior club member Gabri Espina not only supports D.C. statehood, but also supports the use of rallies to attain these and other goals.

“When it comes to rallies, I think it’s important for students to go to these things to support what you believe in and make an impact,” Espina said.

Dobkin was disappointed that only about 10 students attended the first meeting for the CHS chapter of the ACLU, as she thought that students would be excited by the club’s focus on the curfew.

“I thought choosing the curfew would really get students riled up, but I accepted the fact that a lot of students don’t care or don’t care enough,” Dobkin said. “There’s a huge problem that they don’t care, but there’s only so much that I can do.”

However, Espina was excited by the club’s formation, as the CHS chapter of the ACLU appeals to her academic interests.

“I want to major in political science and I love helping out and learning about our community and the laws,” Espina said. “Any opportunity for me is good.”

Club sponsor Adam Field agrees that students need to learn about and care about their civil liberties.

“We’re living at a time where sometimes our rights as citizens are not respected by the government,” Field said. “I think it’s important that students are aware of our rights and the responsibilities that go along with them.”

The CHS chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) held its inaugural meeting Oct. 10 to discuss its goals for the year.

Senior Zoe Dobkin founded the club after working for the D.C. affiliate of the ACLU this past summer.

“I like the views they stand for—civil liberties for everybody,” Dobkin said. “I think that’s important, and I want to make sure that civil liberties are being represented everywhere.”

Currently, the club’s main goal is to oppose the proposed Montgomery County curfew for teenagers.

“That’s our number one issue because that’s the thing that affects us the most at the moment,” Dobkin said. “We’re a high school affiliate, so issues dealing with teenagers are definitely going to be a major priority for us.”

The club officers attended a town hall meeting Oct. 12 to oppose the curfew. Dobkin is against the curfew because she believes that it is an infringement on the civil liberties of minors, that it will create tension between parents and police officers, and that it will create distrust between teenagers and police officers, as well as between teenagers and parents.

Besides combatting the curfew, Dobkin’s other goals for the club include rallying for D.C. statehood and supporting the reintroduction of the same-sex marriage bill in Maryland.

Dobkin would also like to develop a lecture series for the club, which would include Mary Beth Tinker speaking about Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, a Supreme Court case that centered on Tinker’s suspension from school in 1965 for wearing a black armband in protest of the Vietnam War. Tinker ultimately won the case with help from the ACLU.

Club members attended a rally and a march for D.C. statehood with the ACLU of the Nation’s Capital Oct. 15. Dobkin feels strongly about D.C. statehood because she believes that people who live in D.C. should be able to elect congressional representatives.

“There are citizens who don’t have the most basic form of democratic rights, which is the right to vote, and it’s an issue that a lot of people don’t know about,” Dobkin said.

Senior club member Gabri Espina not only supports D.C. statehood, but also supports the use of rallies to attain these and other goals.

“When it comes to rallies, I think it’s important for students to go to these things to support what you believe in and make an impact,” Espina said.

Dobkin was disappointed that only about 10 students attended the first meeting for the CHS chapter of the ACLU, as she thought that students would be excited by the club’s focus on the curfew.

“I thought choosing the curfew would really get students riled up, but I accepted the fact that a lot of students don’t care or don’t care enough,” Dobkin said. “There’s a huge problem that they don’t care, but there’s only so much that I can do.”

However, Espina was excited by the club’s formation, as the CHS chapter of the ACLU appeals to her academic interests.

“I want to major in political science and I love helping out and learning about our community and the laws,” Espina said. “Any opportunity for me is good.”

Club sponsor Adam Field agrees that students need to learn about and care about their civil liberties.

“We’re living at a time where sometimes our rights as citizens are not respected by the government,” Field said. “I think it’s important that students are aware of our rights and the responsibilities that go along with them.”