Every Thursday at 3, a variety of students from all grades and backgrounds convene in a small classroom in Langley High School. Though the students as individuals are diverse, the unifying element that gathers them together every week is their interest in politics and liberal views.

Before its conception, co-creator Bijan Boroumand was saddled with the usual challenge of generating enough student interest to create a club. The junior’s reasoning behind it was simple: “I created Young Dems because I wanted a club to not only embrace my views and many others at Langley, but to also further diversity at our school and bring change to our community and nation.” The idea quickly caught on, and it is now a thriving after-school club. Meetings are especially vibrant in the thick of election season, which provides more than enough stimulant for discussion. Says parent Elisa Rubin, “It’s not everyday when teenagers have the chance to have a specified place and time to discuss politics with each other, face to face.” This is true, especially considering that most political influence stems from the media or family members. This club provides a unique occasion to have a personal discussion with other students.

“Young Dems is a great opportunity to come together with other students for political discussions in a fun and educational environment,” says club member and class Treasurer Erica Weiss. Though the club is called Young Democrats, students of all political affiliations are welcomed with open arms. According to sophomore Kyle Hutchinson, “I think it’s actually much better when we have a mixed group, it provides different viewpoints and makes the discussion all the more interesting.” This attracts more students than just those who identify as liberal, and helps diversify the viewpoints and stances in the room.

For a relatively new after-school club, the appeal of it has attracted students from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, unified under the interest of democratic political affairs (not to be confused with Bill Clinton’s scandals). News has spread like wildfire, and attendance is steadily increasing.

Photo creds: Sonia Toloczko. Caption: Students convene at a recent meeting on Oct. 13