By Chelsea Dean
Freshman Garret Cline wants to make his mark at Hood and inspire his fellow classmates.
After only two months in college, Cline has already been very active in joining clubs and participating in Hood’s spirited traditions.
“It’s all about family,” he Cline said. “I want each and everyone of us to be united, just like me and my friends back home.”
Cline was elected to serve the Student Government Association as a senator in September. Further, Cline participates in Hood College Student Musical Theater, TEA (Tolerance, Equality, and Acceptance), and activities in Coblentz Hall; such as Policies for Dollars.
Cline was born and raised in a little town called Newville on the outskirts of suburban Pennsylvania. Cline attended Big Spring High School and was very popular among his peers.
“We were traditionalists but in a more modernized way,” Cline said of his hometown. “My high school class was very open-minded; if you weren’t accepting of other’s personal lifestyles, you were the minority.”
This active student was equally involved during his high-school years.
During his junior year of high school, Cline decided to organize a Gay Straight Alliance. However, upon appealing the club to the school board it was denied due to not meeting regulations of other school organizations.
“That really set me off,” said Cline. “We met every standard and regulation necessary to make this group a success; it was simply not in the interest of some faculty members.”
“Well what can you do,” Cline continued. “We really only had one option. Go public.”
Cline, along with friend, sophomore Travis Gilbert, organized a rally among all the high school students who were in support of the GSA club at their school.
The event took place on August of 2012, after the two had graduated from Big Spring High School.
The rally was a complete success. Over three hundred students where in attendance to show their support, and the entire event was televised by a local news station.
“It was terrifying,” Cline said. “That was my first ever appearance on live television and I was being questioned about an extremely controversial issue.”
Even though Cline would not be able to see the success of the GSA at his alma mater, he feels proud at the support he gained for future students.
“It’s not about my interests; it just feels good to know that I had an impact, and maybe even made the lives of some underclassmen a little easier,” Cline said.
As a result of the rally Cline helped to head, the club was approved after a second appeal to the school board.
“There’s an overwhelming sense of community now,” said Cline. “And I’m proud to have been a part of making that happen.”
Cline plans to bring that same sense of togetherness to the Hood campus.
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