If you’re interested in politics or current events, consider joining The Acceptance Project (TAP)!

TAP is a club that allows students to talk about controversial issues in a safe space. The rocky political climate makes it difficult for people to discuss their ideas without receiving backlash. 

Topics like gun control, abortion, and the death penalty are seen as taboo in today’s day and age, but The Acceptance Project unites students through mutual discussions of topics like these.

The club’s members span the political spectrum, from conservative to liberal. This diversity of students allows members to hear other people’s perspectives, work together, and put aside previous biases. 

The Acceptance Project was started by Stroudsburg alumni, Taha Vahanvaty. When asked why he started the club, he stated, “I started TAP out of a desire to get students with backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs to simply talk to one another. All students need is time, space, and a facilitator. The conversations just flow after that.”

Understanding politics is so important for our generation because soon, we’ll be the ones making decisions that directly affect our future.

One of TAP’s past leaders, Stroudsburg alumni 2022, Gavin Hall, recalled his time in the club and said, “The Acceptance Project was a vital resource in learning how my fellow students thought and how to understand them. It breached gaps between us and gave a platform for people to tell their stories. The learning opportunities and social respect The Acceptance Project offers is something I value to this day.“

The lessons you can learn from being in this club can change your perception of politics and people as a whole. Learning to look past shallow labels and starting to listen to others is an essential part of what it takes to be an involved citizen and student. 

With meetings every other Thursday in C208, TAP makes it easy to become involved. For more information, email club advisor, Jessica Appolo, at [email protected].

If you’re interested in joining, use the Google Classroom code y5stfra and look for updates on new meetings!