The Social Action for Student Safety, or “SASS,” is a relatively new club founded in the wake of the Parkland school shooting which occurred in February 2018. Seniors from the recent graduating class and supervisor Ms. Stanton created SASS in response to the issues of school shootings and gun violence. The organization is focused on motivating students to get involved in their community to enact the change they want to see.

When asked why SASS is so important, senior Julia McKenna replied, “so that the decisions being made are in the best interests of the students– to make sure that I don’t sit while all of these decisions about my future are being made for me, without me.” As put by senior Sophia Lora, “young people– we are a huge part of the country. And we do matter. Although it is hard to get our voices out, the younger people need to be heard. We need to stay motivated.”

So how does SASS actually make a difference? McKenna says that “through community outreach- so events with candidates, through debates, through voter registration drives, and through raising awareness of these issues, we are able to educate people so that they can take action.”

The club has created a mission statement to share their goals with the community: “We the SASS community of John Adams High School strive to involve students in local, statewide, and national politics in order to engage and initiate change related to issues that directly affect student life. Our goal is to educate and motivate our peers in order to help take control of our political future and create a lasting impact.”

The board meets every Thursday morning to talk about important issues and discuss the future of the club, and informational meetings for other members occur every several weeks. The organization is currently planning a debate for school board candidates, set for Sunday, October 14, an important opportunity to learn more about important candidates in local elections.