Spirituality

female 12th-graders.” He also claimed that the district’s decision to revoke recognition for the FCA club was targeted due to its religious-based views.

The school was also affected by the court’s ruling. Club Rush—a week-long event in which students can learn about and join various clubs at the school—never had a set date, but was postponed from its original date in early September. Instead, it was held in the week of Jan. 17 due to SJUSD’s reevaluation of its clubs and its nondiscriminatory policies. Club rush was delayed as SJUSD lawyers established a new constitution and application process for club recognition in order to ensure that all clubs abided by its non-discrimination policies. The district has justified its decision by citing the need to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all students, while the FCA club and its supporters maintain that their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and religion are being violated.

“The process was long, and it was hard to have clubs delayed, but it was an important process to ensure clubs are available for everyone,” Activities Director Meg Walsh said.

The new policies for clubs set by the district are consistent between both middle and high schools in the district, according to Walsh. A constitution overview was created for all the clubs by Walsh, based on

“My club was not affected directly, but we altered our policies so that we stay away from any limitations of learning about a culture so we can fully understand the heritage and not exclude anyone’s identity and where they are from,” Junior Marcus Firoozye, Vice President of the Cultural Awareness Club, said. Other student club leaders also kept up with the lawsuit. “Our club was not affected by the rules, but the district handled the new policies well. I hope no lawsuit regarding any discrimination happens in the future,” Junior Jessica Burriesci, secretary of the Humane Society, said.

The controversial FCA club lawsuit sparked conversations throughout SJUSD regarding non-discrimination policies as well as students’ rights, causing a significant amount of controversy and backlash from club representatives. Despite the semester-long delay, clubs have officially resumed since Jan. 17, with many new ones being introduced at the school such as the martial arts club, the life skills club and the chess club.

After being raised Catholic, Julie Montgomery, Math Department, had an epiphany at age 25. Her spiritual situation did not satisfy her—something was off. It was at this point in time that she was introduced to Buddhism, thus beginning her spiritual journey.

Montgomery first joined a Japanese Buddhist group founded by Nichiren Daishonin. Later, she entered Tibetan Buddhism, where people make an effort to treat every living thing, from humans to animals to insects, as having been one’s mother in a past life.

“If you view every other person as having been your mother, it invokes the idea that every living thing has sacrificed so much just to let you live. Realizing how a person has loved and cared for you unconditionally is the first step to being able to return that compassion, no matter how they treat you. With this mindset, I want to be able to fully feel that compassion for everyone,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery heavily focuses on how she treats other people. She remains aware of every aspect of her life—what is happening to her, how she reacts, what she says and does.

“In teacher-student relationships, one must simultaneously command respect and show compassion. It is especially difficult when faced with a full classroom, and I am yet to find a perfect balance between my spirituality and my professional life,” Montgomery said.

As Montgomery navigates her spirituality in a school setting, she makes sure to treat her students with kindness and respect. Many people define compassion simply as being kind, but she believes it is something much deeper. To her, it also consists of being helpful, directly or indirectly, and using it to make people’s minds more peaceful.

“If I could go back to the outset of my personal improvement, I would tell myself, ‘You need to change your selfimportant attitude immediately. The more you hold onto these inflated views of yourself, the more obstacles you create for yourself.’ Every negative thought, no matter how small, will weigh like a boulder if you let it fester for enough time,” Montgomery said.