It’s no secret that American politics are polarizing, and there seem to be only two sides to every issue. But a new club at EHS looks to change that view and find a way to resolve debates on current events peacefully.

The Middle Ground Club held its first meeting Feb. 12, with approximately 40 students attending. The group had two options for the meeting’s topic but voted to discuss the two Super Bowl halftime shows from Bad Bunny and Turning Point USA. 

Some members were drawn in by the club’s political nature. Freshman Ethan Bohnenstiehl came to the meeting because he likes politics and debate. Other members weren’t as well versed in political issues and wanted to learn.

“I was interested in the club because I’m not really a conservative or liberal, more so in the middle, and I wanted to learn about both sides,” sophomore Eli Kennedy said.

Sophomore Sean Ogden gravitated toward the sprouting club for the social aspect.

“I was interested because I thought it was a great idea for a club,” he said. “It’s a good place to meet people, and my friend started it. I thought that was really cool, and I wanted to support that.”

That friend is sophomore Josie Bradley, who started the club after seeing a niche that needed to be filled at EHS.

“I got the idea for the club from going to different clubs and feeling the need for a political club,” Bradley said. “I didn’t want to create a Democrat or Republican club because that would only further the divide … U.S. foreign policy last year made me realize that people would be interested in talking about politics.”

Bradley went to social studies teacher Jane Hicks to sponsor the club.

“[Bradley] told me about the idea of [Middle Ground Club], and I thought it sounded refreshing and great,” Ms. Hicks said. “I think it’s great if kids want to talk about politics, but over the years, we’ve had EHS Republican Club and … Democratic Socialist Club. And again, that’s cool, but you know it ends up being kind of an echo chamber … I like how Middle Ground Club is going to take it one topic at a time and that everyone’s invited.”

After the “tedious” approval process with administration, the club had its first meeting, which went smoothly in members’ opinions.

“The Middle Ground meeting was very inclusive,” sophomore Nicole Slattery said. “It allowed people to talk freely about how they view political issues while also listening to other perspectives … We can speak our minds on how we view controversial topics without being ridiculed or disrespected.”

The club plans to meet every other Thursday, and its next topic will be ICE and immigration. Many attendees of the first meeting plan to remain members. 

“I will definitely continue going to future meetings, and even if you’re only a little bit interested, you should definitely come check it out,” sophomore Ellie Bohannon said. 

Although the club is still in its infancy, several members believe its first steps were successful.

“I like the club because, for a first meeting, it was very well structured,” Ogden said. “While everyone had their own opinions, no one argued, and we really did try to find the middle ground.”