Music and Bible passages provide calm away from turbulence that
is everyday high school
Aaron Moon’s voice and the soft strums of his guitar echo gently across the room.
“God is bigger than the air I breath. God will save the day,” sings the 17-year-old.
The audience soon joins in, humming the tune and singing along with the lyrics. One teen whispers, “I love this song.”
When he wraps up, Rachel Whiteside, 17, leads the group in a prayer.
Sure, the above is commonplace in a church or youth group gathering, but this meeting occurred in a place where Bibles, group prayer and religious hymns aren’t often found: a public school classroom.
Every Thursday afternoon, members of Gilroy High School’s Grace Club head to Mark Rose’s classroom for a little lesson on Christianity and to discuss the dilemmas we all face in our day-to-day lives.
“In my first year they were a little more proactive about putting things on on campus and the last two years they’ve mainly focused on creating a positive environment for other students,” said Rose, the Christian club advisor and a GHS English teacher.
Few could argue that the officers who run the Grace Club have failed to create a sort of on-campus sanctuary, a peaceful place in the midst of the chaos that defines high school. During a recent meeting, students continued to pour into the classroom, lunches in hand, filling up all available seats as Whiteside casually lead the discussion.
Staring across a gathering of at least 30 students, Whiteside, the club president this school year, immediately dove into the topic of discussion, careful not to waste a minute of the short lunchtime period.
“This month we’re talking about spiritual warfare,” said the high school senior while posed on the ledge of the desk.
Whiteside, her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and a long scarf wrapped around her neck, headed to the dry erase board and penned DEVIL, circling it to further emphasize the already-weighty word.
“I think it’s pretty interesting that like 90 percent of Americans believe in God but only 30 percent believe in the devil,” she said
Sometimes the devil’s voice is disguised as your own, a surefire way for evil to enter your head and persuade you that you’re not worthy of love, to turn away from God.
“There’s God’s voice, there’s your voice, then there’s the voice of the devil,” she explained to the roomful of teens.
The club president asked the group to give her an example of a time when evil took over in their lives. One girl eagerly raised her hand and said she often becomes super irritated with her live-in cousin and picks fights.
During that time, the little voice in her head convinces her that it’s OK to fight with her relative.
Whiteside read a passage from Romans and explained how we desire to do good but don’t necessarily follow through with those intentions.
“It just kind of shows that struggle that goes on in your mind,” she said.
For example, it takes at six weeks to create a habit but six months to break it. But that’s why Christians must seek out the “divine power,” to give up those indulgences.
Self-control is a major necessity, Whiteside said, adding that it’s something she really needs to work on since she tends to say what’s on her mind no matter what.
“Sometimes I wish I could go to the store and buy a mouth piece,” she said, with a laugh.
A Christian Club
About eight years ago a GHS student decided that her high school lacked an important element: a Christian club. The teen asked administration for permission to start the group, which she dubbed the Grace Club.
The student approached Ron Kinoshita, a longtime GHS science teacher, and asked if he’d serve as club advisor. Kinoshita gladly agreed to take on the task, which required little, if any effort, on his part.
“As an advisor I didn’t have to do much,” he said. “They were totally self-motivated.”
Little has changed. Kinoshita retired four years ago and then handed the reins over to Rose.
Like Kinoshita, Rose simply provides a space and a guiding ear and is also extremely impressed with the groups’ organization.
“It’s been amazing to see their leadership and what they’ve done,” he said.
Moon, who joined the group as a freshman and now serves as treasurer, said the club’s four officers meet monthly to organize the topics of discussion. At the first meeting of the year they asked members to submit ideas and then sat down and selected themes that are most relevant for students, such as love, temptation, angels and demons.
Most of the Grace Club members belong to local youth groups but students who aren’t affiliated with any church also show up. Moon, 17, makes sure to invite anyone and everyone because he wants to spread the word to all.
“My goal for the group is to create a positive environment to inform my fellow students about what a relationship with Jesus is all about,” said the high school senior.
Little Controversy
The political battles fought elsewhere over the rights of religious clubs have not touched the Gilroy High School Campus, according to members. In March, a student from Torrance’s Madrona Middle School was told by the principal that their Christian club must have a secular name and that the members must refrain from referencing religious activities when making school announcements.
The student contacted the Alliance Defense Fund, a group that provides legal assistance for issues relating to religious freedom and the principal dropped the rules. ADF lawyers are also in the midst of appealing a September ruling by the Ninth Circuit barring a Christian ministry from staging meetings in public library.
At Gilroy High School, Kinoshita said there was “absolutely no resistance,” from administration when the Grace Club was established and clubmembers said they rarely hear disrespectful prose cross the lips of classmates.
“Normally people are pretty respectful,” Whiteside said, adding that she’s not sure if others who aren’t involved with the club even know she’s the president.
Rose also hasn’t heard of any anti-Christian harassment going on although he said individuals can always question how the religious group is portrayed in the curriculum.
“Is there a fair and balanced approach when talking about Puritan era?” he asked. “Are Christians stereotyped or are they looked at as a positive contribution to this country?”
For Whiteside, who transferred to GHS from Watsonville’s Monte Vista Christian School this year, joining the club was a way to connect with other Christians on campus and provide support.
And apparently, it’s working. When the closing prayer was finished and the group had said its “amens,” Cassie Cooper walked up to Whiteside, with a content smile plastered across her face.
“I just wanted to thank you for your message,” the 17-year-old said. “It spoke to me. (It’s) what I’ve been struggling with.”
