Youth Alive: A look at religion in public schools

“Do you believe in God? Who is Jesus?”

These questions caught many people off guard when they were first asked over the speaker during the morning announcements. Students and teachers were caught off guard, some maybe even offended.

The announcement for one of UHS’ newest clubs, Youth Alive, got some people thinking, is this even allowed?

The answer to that question is yes. Because of the federal Equal Access Act, passed in 1984, public schools are prohibited from blocking access to religious clubs and must allow them to meet before or after school.

“Me and a friend [Sofia Recio] go to a church camp for a week every summer and some students that would be there would tell us their stories about how they started a Youth Alive group at their school, so we thought it would be a good idea to start one at our school, too because it isn’t very common,” said Brewer.

But in order to start a club at UHS, you need a sponsor. Juniors Ma’At Brewer and Sofia Recio found sponsors in English teachers Naja Taylor and Reily Wills.

For Taylor, it was an easy decision: she was immediately on board, as she is a devoted Christian herself.

Students involved in Youth Alive can expect “to not only be around people who believe the same thing, but to also learn about the principals and learn how to share your faith with other students and people outside of school as well,” said Taylor.

So if you’re looking for a group to indulge with about Christianity and maybe even enjoy a little snack, talk to Ms. Taylor in room 2227!