Andria Bao’23 and Julie He’23
Many students may find themselves lacking energy and motivation because of the current pandemic. In an effort to encourage students, the school offers many opportunities for students to enjoy fun activities and socialize with peers. Clubs, affinity groups, and weekend activities are examples of activities for students to come together and spend time on activities they enjoy. This year, there are 32 clubs ranging from Haiti Partnership Club to Culinary Arts club. Clubs have found myriad ways to adapt to the new system and let remote students be a part of the community. Multiple clubs meet online to encourage all students to join and feel connected with the rest of the school.
In addition to clubs that have been running for many years, numerous new clubs were created as well, including the Book Club, the Community Art Club, and the Philosophy club. As the name suggests, Book Club is a club dedicated to reading and discussing deeper meanings hidden in books. In their first meeting, students talked about favorite books and genres and played a game. In the spirit of Halloween, they decided to read a spooky horror book to read and talk about for the upcoming meeting. Based on a vote, members chose And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie as the month's book. The book is considered one of the best mystery novels ever written.
Book club plans on meeting once a month. After each book, there will also be discussions about themes, interpretations, characters, and more. Club members can talk about their favorite genres, argue why a character is vital to the plot, or discuss the hidden meanings and implications of a certain book. In addition to monthly books, there will be lots of fun online activities, including games like book bingo and crossword puzzles.
The club is created during a period of remote learning, however, in the future, hopefully the club can meet in person because this gives the club more room for creativity in planning activities and allows students to connect in real life. Since a large number of students are stuck at home and have fewer opportunities for social interaction, Book Club is a great option for students hoping to meet new people or relax. Book Club can encourage students to work on their comprehension skills, find a new relaxing hobby, and push people to get off their screens. Book Club is open to anyone, and we encourage everyone to go and check it out!