This year, as students anticipate the return of clubs and affinity groups in October, they may be surprised by a few changes. Namely, two SALT groups have been put on hold, and two are returning from a year-long hiatus.

Firstly, though, what is SALT? No, it’s not sodium chloride, but Lakeside’s Student Affinity/Alliance and Learning/Leadership Team (technically the acronym is SAALLT, but SALT is more convenient). The goal of SALT groups, according to SALT advisor Ms. Lanier, is to provide students with a safe environment to embrace and understand aspects of their identity alongside others who identify similarly. They’re also places to just be yourself, make friends across grade levels, and participate in school-wide activities. 

At the time of writing this article, SALT is comprised of nine groups: Black Student Union (BSU), Chronic Illness and Disability Alliance (CIDA); Gay, Lesbian, or Whatever (GLOW); Latine + Hispanic Alliance (Latispa), Lakeside Asian American/Pacific Islander Students (LAPS), Interfaith and Spirituality Alliance, Multiracial and Multiethnic Affinity (MIXED), South Asian American Group (SAAG), and Student Awareness Council (SAC).

Of those nine, SALT groups fall into three different categories: affinity, alliance, and learning groups. Affinity groups, like BSU or LAPS, are a space for students who all share an identity. This contrasts with alliance groups such as GLOW or Latispa, which welcome anyone who identifies with the group or is interested in learning about the group as an ally. Similarly, learning groups, like SAC, also welcome all students, but they take a uniquely educational approach to their work in creating awareness about social issues.

However, despite the wealth of different groups this year, there is a notable absence of two groups that have existed in the past: Indigenous Students’ Alliance (ISA) and Lakeside Anti-Racist Students (LARS). 

Speaking on ISA’s absence, Ms. Lanier recalls that Avery K. ’22 (ISA’s leader last year) was “running it as an alliance group and trying to be open and creative in the invitation, [but] people just didn’t show up.” On top of this issue, she adds, “We do not [currently] have any students who identify as Native or Indigenous.” 

Ms. Yorks, the English department head, weighed in on the disconnect between the carefully crafted English 11 curriculum, centered around giving voice to Native authors, and the lack of Native students at Lakeside: “I’m aware that our indigenous student population here is small, but we have been super thoughtful as a department about centering historically marginalized voices and also opening windows into lived experiences that may be different from those of our students.” Still, Ms. Lanier reminds students that recognizing the work ISA did to create and seek approval for a public land acknowledgment is crucial: “Even though they’re not actively running now, do not take away from any of the hard work they did when they were present.”

LARS is also not running this year because of the absence of a student leadership team. As a learning group, LARS created a space where students could “really examine [their] privilege in order to dismantle the systems that gave them privilege and gave others less,” says Ms. Lutton, LARS’ advisor. LARS has made efforts in past years to rebrand and clarify its goals, but unfortunately, assumptions about the group and the people it represents deterred many from attending. 

The absence of LARS comes as a disappointment to Ms. Lutton because “when learning groups don’t exist, I think we lose the opportunity for white, straight, cis[gender], or upper-class students to see a place for themselves in the work of SALT.” 

Ms. Lutton also gives her take on the difficulty of maintaining a SALT leadership team: “For students to run and lead a group, it’s a weighty responsibility. SALT groups serve a purpose for students, but they also serve the institutional purpose of advancing Lakeside’s goals around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. It’s different from starting a club that’s about any topic.”

Last year, it seemed like the Interfaith and Spirituality Alliance would also be inactive this year. However, upon arriving back on campus this fall, multiple students raised interest in reviving the group. Top of mind for these leaders is creating an inclusive environment to welcome more students, improving Lakeside’s religious accommodations, and facilitating community events. They say that students can look forward to a variety of faith-based foods at meetings and utilization of the Student Center to celebrate religious events. 

For this coming year, Ms. Lanier urges students to “show up and engage” in the SALT groups that are available. SALT groups lie at the core of self-belonging on Lakeside’s busy campus. Even students who don’t identify with a particular group can ask alliance leaders how to support or be a part of their community. A wealth of support and meaningful connections are at students’ fingertips.