A new club is giving students opportunities to engage in political discussions in a safe environment outside the classroom. Junior State of America Club meets on Mondays during lunch in C211.

JSOA focuses on giving students a safe space to voice their opinions on current political issues. Katie Williams, a founder and co-president, said JSOA differs from other political clubs.

Katie said the club can allow people to discuss issues they care about without feeling academic pressure and social biases. The organization appealed to Katie because of how it values women of color.

In contrast to other clubs, JSOA is a student-run organization which prioritizes the student’s individual opinion and perspective. Katie said instead of speaking from a given perspective such as in debate, Model UN and mock trial, students can speak from their own perspective and share their personal ideals.

At the club’s meeting on Oct. 17, students watched introductory videos about Roe v. Wade and abortion rights in preparation for their discussion at the next meeting.

Club members will attend a regional conference later this year, so students are encouraged to attend weekly meetings to practice engaging with current political issues.

“We really want to get everybody comfortable,” Katie said, “so they can be able to, like, discuss their points and just have, like, familiarity within that.”