By Zihan (Chelsea) Cao ’28
“We should celebrate and explore all of [the identities represented at St. Mark’s School],” said Teni. An affinity group is a group organized around a shared identity or common living experiences — race, ethnicity, gender, or religion. At St. Mark’s School, this includes cultural festival celebrations, student-organized workshops, and opportunities to perform.
Clubs and affinity groups serve as different parts of a student’s school life. A club brings students together around a passion, while affinity groups provide students a family-like niche. It emphasizes “mutual support”, gives students a peaceful place to discuss challenges, and maintains their traditions.
This year, at St. Mark’s school, we have 15 pathway groups.
Black Lions Union (BLU) supports Black students;
Pan African brings together African students;
Los Leones provides a space for Hispanic and Latinx students;
ASEA (Association of Southeast and East Asians) centers around Asian students;
South Asian Society (SASS) creates an environment for South Asians;
Asian American Society (AAS) supports Asian American students;
Men-are-Made and Southborough Society each support male and female identity, respectively;
Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) focuses on experiences about gender and sex;
Christian Fellowship Group (CFG), J-Team, SMSara, and Openly Secular support students of Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and secular beliefs, respectively;
Brilliant helps neurodiverse students;
Sisters of Color Affinity (SOCA) celebrates the identities of women of color.
Our pathway prefects this year, Oluteniola (Teni) Ogunjumo ‘27, Yan Cai ‘27, Adeline (Addie) Coleman ‘28, and Angela Pedulli ‘27, help to manage and organize all of these 15 groups. They know that these groups are especially significant in a boarding school environment. Away from home, students may have fewer environments to practice their traditions and speak to people from similar ethnic groups. Students in minority groups may find that some traditions in their lives seem to be unfamiliar to their classmates. The pathway prefects hope to emphasize the opportunities for students to share their experiences and traditions openly.
Throughout the academic year, we will have several key events celebrating different affinity groups. For example, at UMOJA, all of the affinity groups would get a chance to express themselves through their talents on stage to the students at St. Mark’s School. We will also hold the Culture Fair, where students can share food, stories, and traditions from their cultures.