City High’s new club, “If You Really Knew Me” aims to create a safe place for students to discuss issues ranging from depression, stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems in a judgement free environment.

“I think it’s something important that people our age should know about since it’s focused on mental illnesses,” Julieta Rangel ‘16 said. “I think it’s also important for people to know how it’s common and it’s not something they should be ashamed of and it’s something they should be open about.”
The group, which was recently thought up by junior Miranda Livingston, hopes to be an outlet for students to talk together about struggles they are experiencing, according to Rangel.
“When we get more members we just want to talk as a group about anything that is stressing them out and just build a bond and make them know that they’re not alone.”
Livingston was inspired by West High’s similar group “Behind the Mask.” After reading about it in the West Side Story, Livingston said she felt it would be a beneficial addition to City High.
“I was reading about it and I was like ‘We don’t have anything like this at City. This needs to happen.’ There are tons of people struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, just any mental health issue, and a lot of people feel like they’re alone in that.”
Students who are interested in joining can talk to Tara Kolker in the guidance or a student involved with the club. Livingston wants students to know that all information shared during the meeting is confidential.
“We want to raise awareness and break down the stereotypes mental health [issues] have.”