Often, students aim to project awareness around issues regarding gender. Junior Karim Rifai sought to provide a space where students have the opportunity to discuss issues regarding traditional masculinity and femininity. He succeeded, and the Positive Masculinity Club became official.

The club meets every Wednesday during lunch and has a loose structure where students can engage in thought-provoking conversations with friends that still feel fun.

Rifai selected ELA teacher Brook Brayman as the club’s adviser.

“He is a very vocal teacher, which is what originally drew me to him,” Rifai said. “He is right on the line of [being] controversial, but manages to balance what he says with what he means.”

Rifai has faith in Brayman’s abilities as an adviser.

“He is actually a great adviser,” Rifai said. “You know how most advisers sit back and let the clubs go through their activities? Well, Brayman finds a way to be involved with all of our discussions without completely stealing our attention.”

As far as the club’s long-term goals go:

“We are trying to create some type of service project,” Rifai said. “Mr. Brayman suggested creating a service project, in fact he says that he is encouraging all of his clubs to commit to some form of community service.”

Rifai started the club initially for his own self- betterment but started to learn about the culture around masculinity among the student body.

“The club is here to encourage traditionally positive masculine traits like bravery or strength,” Rifai said. “The most important thing to me is to run a space for everyone, not just people using gendered pronouns.”

He reached beyond to explain the core values and conversations held by the club.

“Femininity and masculinity are rooted in what we think men and women should be, but what we should be has evolved so much,” Rifai said.

He used himself as an example.

“I try to maintain both traditionally masculine and feminine traits as I move through my [days],” he said.

Rifai felt it important to disclose that the club has conversed about last year’s open discussion on sexual assault amongst students on campus. He felt that this topic is of utmost importance within the concept of toxic masculinity in contrast with positive masculinity.

“I think at Ballard people tend to use masculinity to justify bad behavior, and that’s something we often discuss during club,” Rifai said.

He believes that in order to achieve gender equality, no one should get flack for being proud of their masculinity.