Tell Me About It
Rant your heart out in this new club.
“Let it all out” they say, but is school really the right place? Of course, there are ways to rant outside of school, such as social media, blogs and talking to friends and family, all of which are effective ways to get passion or frustration out. Although, there is now an option at LHS. Tell Me About It, a new club, is here for all speech and rant needs.
In January, seniors Makana Brooks and Grace Johannes had the idea to create a club for ranting but did not plan to set their idea to action. With the help of English teacher and sponsor Morgan Forbach, their vision for Tell Me About It became real. Every Wednesday during Liberty Hour, students can come in with their names on slips of paper, which are put into a hat to be drawn to see who gets to speak first. That person then rants for two minutes. Once they are finished, another name is drawn out of the hat and the process continues. The person can either choose to say his or her own rant or use his or her time to respond to a previous rant.
“There can’t be any responses by members without their name being called,” Brooks said. “I think this is a good thing; it teaches people to listen. Some people, including myself, have a hard time being content listening without speaking. The club trains that habit.”
Tell Me About It is a safe space for LHS students to talk freely about the things on their mind, as long as it’s school appropriate. There is no direct debate in rants or responses, so people can focus on the thoughts and ideas important to them.
“Tell Me About It is unique because it allows for people to express their ideas on the topics they choose, without anyone combating them,” Johannes said.
Though students can speak freely, there are ground rules in club meetings, all of which are along the lines of being respectful. There’s no interrupting a rant or responding to it when your name isn’t drawn from the hat.
“Grace and I took our idea for the club and designed some rules around it in order to maintain decorum and keep the club’s system running efficiently,” Brooks said. “I think it’s something students want. We all get a bit irritated and the chance to let your frustrations out, uninterrupted, is somewhat rare. At Tell Me About It, we give members the chance to let it all out.”
Because they are both seniors, Johannes and Brooks hope Tell Me About It continues in the future with more underclassmen who share the same passion for the club.
“It’s a much different setup than other clubs where topics are dictated by the leaders,” Brooks said. “Here, the members decide, individually, which direction they’d like the club to go in.”
Forbach, the sponsor, has high hopes for the club.
“I hope students feel like this club can have both goofy and serious topics,” Forbach said. “If they have something to discuss, they should feel like they have the opportunity.”
