Human rights advocate club

By Joseph Metz | gargoyle@flagler.edu

It’s time to stop talking and start doing.

That’s the basic message of the Human Rights Advocates of Flagler College, a new club that Flagler College has to offer. The club hopes to be able to promote human rights awareness around our campus and community.

HRA was created by Julia Howland and Rachel Matthews, and has just recently gained approval from the Student Government Association. Both are optimistic about what the club can contribute to the community and excited to see other people who are willing to help.

“We hope that by raising awareness that we promote action out of people,” Matthews said. Howland and Matthews plan on putting together a fundraiser in April on the West Lawn where pieces of art will be donated and sold off, giving the profit to charities such as Amnesty International. The club hopes to gain sponsors from local businesses that can help gain money to donate.

“We’d like to get people involved and get the word out,” Howland said. “We’re thinking about doing cool things to promote the event like T-shirts and even slap bracelets.”

The club also hopes to contact public speakers to help raise awareness. Howland has been working hard to contact the big-time players in the human rights advocate industry to take time and speak to students around Flagler’s campus. She has also been able to showcase films that deal with the subject in the student center.

Matthews has been working on getting local bands to perform a concert series in hopes of grabbing some attention for the club. She claims to be getting a good response, but is always looking for more people to help the cause.

The club usually meets around 7 p.m. on Wednesday nights.

Human Rights Advocates of Flagler College