Here at Seminole, students have a variety of club choices they can participate in, as well as gaining experience from multiple different aspects outside of the classroom. Student-made clubs are an excellent opportunity for many students to express themselves, and enjoy time with friends. Not only can clubs provide a safe space for people to truly express themselves, but it can also inspire in depth thinking for teenagers by providing support from peers, and giving something in return for students to look forward to throughout the school week. Seminole’s clubs provide safe spaces and relatable communities students cannot often find outside of school.
Nu Gamma is a club that was introduced to the school this 23’-24’ school year. Joshua Mariano, a Junior IB student, created the club to: “encourage and foster critical thought through an eclectic and heuristic lesson approach; it’s for those who seek perspective.” Students mention how this club pushes students to be very interactive with one another, and encourages them to talk about topics and perspectives not often brought up in education or in our daily lives. They partake in a lot of debates, as well as lectures and offer advice and perspectives from both officers and members of the club. Officers even bring free snacks to the members, often providing bananas and candies as fuel for their thoughts. Nu Gamma usually conjures every other Tuesday in the Aviation building.
Josh mentions he’s seen a big impact on his life since the startup of his club “I believe it’s helped my leadership and organization more than anything.”
Another student start-up, Art Club, was created by Sohana Raisa, a senior IB Health Academy student in 2021. Art Club uses a variety of mediums to allow students to express themselves freely within the same boundaries. They come up with numerous ideas for arts and crafts, from print work and watercolor, to paper-mache and pin making. They have gained a lot of support throughout the years, helping to get better quality materials and produce creative projects and posters for the school as well. Friends often come in groups to spend time with each other. They typically meet every other Wednesday in the Art building.
Ruby Feng, a Junior IB officer of the art club states “The club has really changed since we first started it. A lot of people bring their friends and we all just have a good time and express ourselves. We take time out of our day to enjoy each other.“
Another collective club dedicated to working together is the Sending Sunshine created by Newspaper Photography Manager Abra Stalker this school year. This club is dedicated to brightening the lives of senior citizens with the hand written cards dedicated to making them feel loved and apart of the communityNot only do these senior citizens benefit from this cherishable sentiment, but students also get the chance to collect community service hours for every card they make, while members get to bond with one another and enjoying their time sending love and gaining community service hours.
“I love Sending Sunshine. It’s so cute seeing what people come up with, especially for the holidays like Valentine’s day and Christmas. We’re all having fun and eating snacks and I just love the vibe and the positivity everyone has,” states Janiya Stubbs, a Junior member of Sending Sunshine.
These three don’t come close to representing all of the the qualities of each and every club at Seminole. They breed positivity and curiosity, as well as new friendships and connections through interests and hobbies alike. Seminole’s student body has so much to offer for one another, getting involved in your community is the best way to make the most of these amazing opportunities.