Chess Club

Tuesdays in the cafeteria

Chess has been played for over a millennium because it can provide endless hours of entertainment to fulfill one objective: capturing the king.

Despite its intrinsic simplicity, the game allows for unbounded replay due to the infinite possibilities of play.

During Tuesday meetings in the cafeteria, students gather together to set up chessboards and play this beloved game.

Even though chess could be played for a lifetime without repetition, the club periodically varies their games.

“We [sometimes] play a different variation of chess called ‘bughouse,’ where four people can play at [once],” sophomore and club leader Khai Nguyen said.

The game helps relieve the anxiety and stress built up throughout the day.

“It’s a calming thing we do to slow down,” Nguyen said. “It’s a nice way to end the day.”

Although playing chess for the first time may seem intimidating, with a few tips, anyone can go from a pawn to a queen.

“Even if you don’t know how to play, someone here will always teach you,” Nguyen said.

Anime and Origami Club

Mondays in Room 227

Picture a normal door to a classroom. Inside, it’s as if there’s a portal to a whole different world, full of students embracing unique cultural activities. Welcome to the anime and origami club.

Whether they’re reading a new manga, singing karaoke or even making origami paper tanks, members of this club are always enjoying themselves.

“It’s a club of common interests where people who like origami or anime come [together] and talk,” senior and club leader Emily Herman said. “[I like] knowing that everyone there is into the same things.”

Club meetings, which are held Mondays after school in Room 227, alternate each week between focuses in anime and origami.

“For origami club meetings, which are usually once or twice a month, we’ll have one of our [student] instructors [demonstrate the steps] and people can [follow along],” Herman said.

The club readily welcomes anybody who wishes to participate.

“The word ‘join’ is too strong of a word,” Herman said. “It’s more [like] ‘Just show up and have a good time.’”

Meditation Club

Mondays in Room 136

On Mondays in Room 136, students can sit back and relax with the meditation club.

“[Because] many students in the school have very high stress levels, [sophomore Joely Clawson-Keeton and I] wanted to start something that everyone can benefit from,” sophomore and club leader Ria Vadhavkar said.

With that one simple goal in mind, the meditation club was created.

“During each meeting, our primary goal is to meditate to feel relaxed,” Vadhavkar said. “We also discuss our [stresses] in life and come up with ways to reduce them.”

During club meetings, they usually meditate using Sahaja yoga, a special type of yoga designed to obtain peace of mind and total relaxation.

No matter the amount of homework or the level of stress, anyone who wants to meditate can come and be a part of the club’s sessions.

“[Anybody should] join the club [if they want] to have peace of mind, improved concentration and feel energized for the rest of the day to take on more challenges,” Vadhavkar said.