Ranging from athletic to educational, after-school clubs and programs can take many different forms. For Unify Enloe, there is only one word to describe their club: family. Meeting two to three times a month, Unify is a club that looks to create new friendships, particularly between members of the special education and general education community. 

For the most part, these communities are kept separate during school hours, meaning many students will not have an opportunity to interact between the different groups. That means both special and general education students are missing out on potential friendships. In Unify, students are able to create these friendships through group activities and bonding time. Moe Delborne, four-year member of the club and current co-president makes sure the focus is on having fun and creating new connections: “Unify is the least school-like environment you can get because we are not learning anything, we are not trying to get something done, we are just there to have fun.” Activities this year have included trick or treating, hide and seek, Christmas caroling, and dance parties. With a combined 7 years of Unify experience, Shyheem Brodie and Matthew Ramsey can both agree that the dance parties have been their favorite memories, with Ramsey highlighting how fun the Just Dance competition over Zoom last year was his favorite.  

The prospect of joining a club that focuses so much on group interaction and creating a lively environment might be daunting, but four-year member of the club and co-president Caroline Alavi assures that Unify is filled with welcoming people. “My experience in Unify has always been a safe place for me… that’s how I knew who my good friends were going to be, because they were there and I knew they were going to be good people,” she says. First-year member of the club Ladi Folarin voiced his agreement: “I think you should come, it’s a great club and we are open to all types of individuals.” 

At the end of a long and difficult day of school, there are few things better to look forward to than going to spend time with a fantastic group of people for an hour and being able to be yourself. Unify looks to provide that environment for as many people as possible at Enloe, regardless of who you are or what you look like. If this article was not enough to convince you, four-year member Adrick Masters will hopefully be able to, saying, “You should come because of Moe [Delborne].” To find out more, check out their Instagram page @unifyenloe and join their remind @unifye.