Once a month, junior Siri Yakkala heads to a classroom full of familiar faces and is eager to present this month’s Arduino Club activity. Like Arduino Club, there are a variety of niche clubs that students can join based on their interests and hobbies.
Magic: The Gathering Club Schoology Code: S2JW – BG7S – R6H3S
Known as one of the most complex card games to master, Magic: The Gathering is a trading game where players defeat their opponents through spells, creatures and magical abilities. Every Monday (Room 138) and Wednesday (Room 144), members of Magic: The Gathering Club bond over their love for the game.
“My favorite part of the club is the people more than the game itself,” junior Aryan Banda said. “I am able to do something while talking with people that I like.”
According to Banda, many of the members were in the club last year, enabling the club to spend less time teaching the rules. However, the club is always open to new members who want to join the community.
“I feel like it’s a loving community,” Banda said. “I want people to feel welcome when they come in and it can be your first time coming in, but we’re going to treat you like we know you.”
Story Palette Club Schoology Code: XGCX – 2B2Q – CK2RS
For those who enjoy both writing and art, Story Palette Club, founded by seniors Claire Moon and Katie Qiu, integrates storytelling with cartooning to produce coloring books that will be donated to hospitals and children centers. Meetings take place once a month in Room 220.
“I feel like this is a more laid back club,” Moon said. “If you like art and you like writing and you want to earn service hours, I think this club is a good way to do that.”
For each meeting, there will be a theme for members to follow when designing their coloring pages and short stories. Members can earn one service hour for each coloring page and short story, although the hours also depend on effort.
“The goal for the club is to recruit enough members so that we are able to have enough coloring pages for a book,” Moon said. “Overall, I think it’s just trying to make sure we’re able to create quality stories and coloring pages that are good enough to donate and make an impact through them.”
Arduino Club Schoology Code: PWZ3 – 4VPD – VPZZF
With meetings held in both Mod. 19 and the Innovation Lab, Arduino Club experiments with circuits and programming software to light up sensors and activate motors. According to Yakkala, the club aims to teach the basics of Arduino (an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware) since classes can be expensive outside of school.
“In a typical meeting, we would go over how a sensor works and go onto Tinkercad,” Yakkala said. “I’d show them how the circuit is connected and how we are incorporating the sensor and maybe even the real life applications of it. Then it’s mostly their own to build the circuit and make the sensor work as well as ask questions if they have any.”
This year, the club plans on hosting meetings that connect with the theme of the month. For example, their Dec. 12 explored series and parallel circuits which are usually seen in holiday lights.
“For the fall season and Halloween, we talked about LED lights,” Yakkala said. “Overall, my favorite part about the club is having people connect with each other through their interest in technology. It’s also seeing people’s faces brighten up when they are able to make a circuit work.”
Creative Writing Club Schoology Code: 57SH – CBSS – DXFJC
While the Writing Center and English Honor Society may be more well-known, Creative Writing Club is another outlet for students to express their imagination and write freely. Students do not need to be enrolled in a Creative Writing class in school to join the club.
“Creative Writing Club is a place where you can grow your love for writing instead of having to hate it because of school assignments,” senior Angelina Sofya said. “We usually meet Mondays [in Room 144] and some activities we do are writing games where you pick out words from a bag and make a story.”
The club offers a space to share ideas and interact with those who are passionate about writing. Members can also receive and share feedback on past writing pieces.
“I think people should join Creative Writing Club because it’s a place where if you are struggling with writer’s block, there are many stimulating activities to help you with your writing,” Sofya said. “I want people to think about creative writing as a hobby, not a chore because sometimes it can seem like one, so I want the club to seem more fun.”
