McNicholas High School offers many clubs including the school-wide inclusion and diversity acceptance club, Hands Across Campus. Moderated by Theology educators and Missions & Ministry Team members Teresa Davis and Amanda Beatty, the club is also led by five students: Senior Karly Leibreich, junior Mary Metzger, and sophomores Cara Metzger, Kennedy Kramer, and Michael Egan.
“Hands Across Campus is a diversity, inclusion, educational organization led by students that find ways to celebrate differences and educate on cultural, physical, geographic differences,” Davis said.
The club is currently celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by creating a heritage display in Upper Marian and initiating students’ creations of papal picados in C.R.E.W, which are decoratively cut pieces of paper strung together for decoration.
With the efforts of this project, Hands Across Campus aims to ensure that the McNicholas population understands and accepts the differences of not only those in the school but throughout the world. The club strives for, as mentioned by Davis, inclusion, education, and empathy.
Recent efforts of the Hands Across Campus Leadership Team resulted in the presentation of the Youth Justice Award from the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC) of Cincinnati.
“It was given to Hands Across Campus Leadership for raising awareness and spreading how others can walk the road of justice for others,” Davis said.
Hands Across Campus continues to fulfill its mission of inclusion and empathy through various events such as the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American and Indigenous Peoples Day, and the spreading of Autism Awareness. The club also provides free feminine products in all women’s restrooms and cleans the Mount Washington Cemetery once a month.
“It brings us together as brothers and sisters of service and shows how not only are we in our own community with McNick but outside as well with different schools,” Leibreich said.
The McNicholas Milestone 