By Eda Bilen, Year 13
With the multifaceted nature of today’s political issues, geopolitics remains an extremely relevant area of study. Therefore, our campus is very lucky to have the Geopolitics Club, in which LGB students have the opportunity to reflect upon the links between topics varying from political power and geographical phenomena, to cultural diversity and historical unfoldings. To explore the nature of their club in further detail, we had the opportunity to interview the founders of the club, Daphne Conway and Lara Suleiman from Year 12.
Could you give a brief introduction of what the club is about?
We aim to raise awareness on several global issues that we believe deserve dire awareness, and the history of geopolitics. We try to match the expectations of our club members, who are very interested in politics and seek to increase their general knowledge. We believe that having active debates in our sessions are critical in pursuing these objectives. We especially try our best to maintain a friendly and enthusiastic atmosphere, encouraging everyone in engagement. When we initiate a debate, we make sure that everyone shares their opinions in respectful and strategic ways.
What inspired you to create this club?
- Our interest in current world events.
- We wanted to ensure our fellow classmates are aware of relevant geopolitical issues.
- To help us develop our public speaking and critical thinking skills.
- To meet new people in our school.
- To develop a CAS project that will benefit the community.
What do you do in the weekly meetings?
We discuss topics that are relevant to current geopolitical issues, as well as to the interests of our club members. We either have debates, or organize trivia games to keep the atmosphere tranquil and welcoming. We also discuss the approaches we can take to discuss certain topics. For instance, there are certain topics where having a debate would spark moderate tension. We try to change our approaches we take in our meetings by reflecting upon them with our members, which allows us to come up with new creative means.
Could you tell us about the latest session you had?
We presented key information about the Cold War through an engaging PowerPoint presentation. Then we had a group discussion, in which certain members expressed their concerns on the contemporary dynamics of the Cold War. After considering the answers to the questions proposed by members, we ended the lesson with a short debate, as well as a discussion about upcoming topics.
What are your main goals for the club?
- Improve social skills amongst members
- Improve public speaking skills.
- Enhance general knowledge.
- Offer people an enjoyable and informative time.
- Encourage the proposal of diverse opinions.
- Complete our CAS portfolio through a meaningful project.
Why do you think people should join your club?
It will allow them to expand their geopolitical knowledge, as well the ability to debate respectfully and mutually. The sharing of opinions with peers through our debates has numerous benefits, such as encouraging engagement with broader communities, even in settings outside of school. The topics we discuss are extremely relevant today, especially for those interested in studying politics or geography. We really ensure the relevance and usefulness of the topics we chose to present, therefore everyone would benefit from joining our club. Overall, we would love to welcome new members to our club, where everyone has extensive opportunities to engage in discussions and ask questions!
If you are interested in joining, the Club meets every Tuesday morning from 10:30 to 10:55 in GB 312. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the club leaders:
