On any given day at Duchesne, during lunch or before classes begin, groups of passionate students are leading and attending club meetings. From Math Club to Mock Trial, Duchesne is home to more than 25 clubs and activities, many of them student-led.
These groups cover a wide variety of topics and interests, and in the case of some clubs, to work towards building a more just world, inspired the a time-honored Sacred Heart tradition of the Five Goals.
After their first few tests in Freshman theology, all Duchesne students should be familiar with the Goals and Criteria of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Established following the Second Vatican Council, the purpose of the ever-evolving document was to re-center the society in the vision of its founders amid a time of change in the Catholic Church.
While the five core Goals—each representing a pillar of Sacred Heart education—remain unchanged, the criteria corresponding to each goal is periodically updated to guide Sacred Heart schools into the future while remaining true to the schools’ original mission.
Among values of faith, academics, and community is Goal 3, “A social awareness which impels to action”. Goal 3 is a continual reminder to strive towards what the Society calls “justice, peace, and the integrity of creation”.
At Duchesne, Goal 3 is lived out every day through the community of student-led clubs informally known as “Goal 3 clubs.” These student groups are dedicated to a large number of social issues and work to bring awareness and action to the causes important to them.
Senior Rose Klitz is a leader of one of the clubs. “Goal 3 clubs are a good way…for us to remember that there is a lot of diversity, just within our own community,” she said. “We’re able to recognize that the things that affect human beings…affect people here [at Duchesne]”.
These clubs are ubiquitous to student life at Duchesne, filling the school year with events such as dress down days and waffle breakfasts, all while bringing awareness to a wide range of social issues.
“Goal 3 clubs, in my mind, are the ones that see a need in the community…and we put ourselves into action to meet that need,” Mrs. Parkhurst, Director of Community and Culture said.
One such club is Caring For Africa (CFA), a group of students dedicated to supporting Sacred Heart students worldwide.
“We’ve committed to paying tuition for two students for our [Sacred Heart] school in Uganda,” explains Caring for Africa faculty advisor Mrs. Ford. The club’s goal is to raise at least $1500 each year for students at the Primary School in Kalungu, Uganda.
To meet this aim, CFA holds numerous student-led fundraisers each year, including dress down days, singing telegrams, and the annual sticker sale, which last year featured art showcasing African wildlife drawn by Honora Pulido Volkmer A’27.
“This year’s plans are still a work in progress as we are trying to come up with a bunch of new ideas,” said senior Maggie Codr a student leader of CFA. She hints at potential snow cone sales, saying, “This year…we want to incorporate the snowball truck [and] hopefully bring it to some volleyball games.”
Last year, CFA exceeded their goal, raising $1,642.44 for the students in Uganda. “I think the importance of these clubs is putting good into the community,” said Codr. “It’s a great way to build community while still making a difference. Without these clubs, our output to the community would look very different.”
Another club creating that community output is DASH Diversity, a group of students dedicated to fostering inclusion and cultural appreciation in the Duchesne community.
“DASH diversity is a safe, fun, and welcoming space to celebrate, recognize, and share diversity,” says Camila Castro A’27, co-president of the club.
“Culture Fest is the #1 biggest thing that we do,” explained Naazik Bah-Traore , another co-president, speaking of DASH Diversity’s annual event, which takes place in second semester.
In years past, the event has included speakers, a fashion show, and goûter, in addition to giving students the opportunity to share their culture with their peers.
“It’s really for the whole school to have a half day to focus on students’ culture, to appreciate it, but to also see it in a fun way,” says Bah-Traore.
DASH Diversity has also set the goal of raising money for St. Augustine’s school on the Winnebago Reservation. St. Augustine’s, a Catholic school, celebrates and incorporates Indigenous traditions into their religious practices, a mission of inclusion similar to that of DASH Diversity. To meet this goal, the club makes waffles to sell before school, usually in March.
Students curious about DASH Diversity are encouraged to attend meetings, which are held every other Tuesday in Mrs. Reinhart’s room.
“Diversity doesn’t just come from culture, or background,” says Bah-Traore, “Diversity is you playing a different sport. Diversity is you liking a different movie…everyone in the whole entire school is welcome.”
Another club inspired by Goal 3 and “impelled to action” is Sustainability Club. As their name suggests, the club has been at the forefront of Duchesne’s sustainability efforts, as well as organizing student activities like neighborhood clean-ups and clothing swaps.
“The mission of Sustainability Club is to promote Duchesne’s sustainability initiatives, and to educate other students about how to be more sustainable both at school and in their own lives,” club leader, senior Anna Mlnarik said.
Past projects include an annual clothing swap at the school, as well as neighborhood cleanups in the Gifford Park area. This year, Mlnarik said, the club plans to continue the regular clothing swap while introducing a swap specifically for prom dresses.
“To me personally, Goal 3 is…taking the time to educate myself on relevant topics in society, and then taking what I learn to make the world a better place,” says Mlnarik “For Sustainability Club specifically, that means learning about what goes on in our environment, climate change, AI, basically anything that’s threatening sustainability. Then taking that knowledge and turning it into action through the initiatives we have.”
Sustainability Club meets the first Tuesday of every month in Mrs. McConnel’s room. In October, the meeting featured a presentation on the environmental impacts of AI.
Duchesne’s Goal 3 clubs extend far beyond just CFA, DASH Diversity, and Sustainability. From Latina Sisters, Black Student Leadership Council, and Asian Student Alliance, to Feminism, Tiny Steps, and Political Discussions clubs, there are countless opportunities for Duchesne students to raise awareness and create real impact, driven on by the Five Goals.
“Having Goal 3 clubs is so important to our community because it’s vital for students to know that social action shouldn’t be excluded from your school environment,” said Castro. “At any age, social awareness is something you should be consistently applying to your daily life.”
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