The Corvallis High School Z Club, a high school chapter of the national group Zonta Club, added their addition of shirts to The Clothesline Project this fall. Members of the club hope to raise awareness of their club and the issue of violence against women.
Members of the Z Club at CHS were excited about the positive reaction from the student body. Some club members mentioned that students had asked questions about the project and members of the club were able to explain what the project was about and what the Z Club represents. CHS teachers were invited to take their class to view the t-shirt display and discuss the issue.
The Clothesline Project started in 1990 as an awareness tool of the violence against women. According to the project’s website, www.clotheslineproject.org, the project is a healing tool and a way for women to tell their story using t-shirts with words and art. The project has grown from the original 31 shirts in 1990 to over 500 individual projects internationally with an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 shirts.
The CHS chapter of the Z Club is comprised of around 25 active students. While Deb Conety and Nancy Bryant, members of the Zonta Club of Corvallis, and Jane Kiekel, a teacher at CHS, are sponsors of the chapter at CHS, their approach is more of an advisory role as they let the students in the club lead the meetings and make decisions. CHS Z Club’s Clothesline Project was on display in Corvallis High School until the 22nd of November and will move to downtown Corvallis in the Footwise window, at 301 SW Madison Avenue, from January 24th to February 6th.