Here at Montclair High School, with a student body of nearly 2,000 students and hundreds of faculty and staff, it can be easy to get lost in the fray.
In addition to sports and the occasional school event/dance, student-led clubs are an amazing way to get involved with the school community (The Mountaineer is a club, after all!)
However, many students don’t have all of the information they need to know what clubs would be the best fit for them, and then actually get involved. It is important to raise awareness about our clubs because there are so many that serve to engage students and improve the overall experience of students.
According to Montclair High’s School’s official website, “Montclair High School has a rich tradition in providing students with many valuable educational opportunities outside of the classroom. Our school community offers a wide variety of clubs and extracurricular activities in which students can become involved…” MHS has clubs that fall under the domain of academic clubs, performance interest clubs, world interest (clubs for change), school service, cultural/special interest clubs, and sports and recreation clubs.
A common misconception on the part of students is that you have to stay after school to participate in a club. In reality, many clubs meet and have activities during the school day, usually during lunch, so that busy students can still participate without an after school commitment.
Check out these four featured clubs below for a sneak peek into club life at MHS!
Fiber Arts Club
Code: eijhhox
Do you like arts and crafts and are trying to find a club that allows you to learn new forms? Or just trying to find a new favorite hobby? Find out what the Fiber Arts Club is all about.
The Fibers Arts Club, a new club for the 2023-24 school year, was founded by Serena Satahoo-Riofrio and Olivia Langton after they were inspired by their love of fiber art. (Talking to them was a really great experience for me, because I had no idea what fiber art was!) Olive Sterry is the Vice President of the club and Ella … serves as Secretary. To promote the club, the leaders spread the word to their friends and even made announcements in front of CGI.
Though they are just starting out, the club is already thriving. At their first meeting, there was an incredible 30-person turnout, and many first-time members continue to come out for meetings and participate in activities. The club’s recent bake sale on April 19 demonstrates their enthusiasm towards the art and their mission to introduce more people to it.
Langton, Satahoo-Riofrio, Sterry, and (Ella’s last name) told me that they like to both teach and learn in their meetings, giving tutorials on certain fiber arts that they are very good at and learning from other members new types that they weren’t familiar with. The community of the club is one of open exchange of skill and interest, which beautifully engages members and allows for artists of every level to have a fun time and learn.
Thanks to a generous grant, the club was supplied with the resources (like yard, needles, and materials) to make the art. They also have snacks, and that’s always a perk.
The Fiber Arts club isn’t just interested in containing their influence to those who like art. Langton told me she and the club are considering ways they can get involved in community service and collaborate with other clubs like the NOW club, women’s clubs, and other art clubs.
Take a peek into a Fiber Art Club meeting below, and hear about the club from your friends, using the above code, and checking out the hallways fliers in both the freshman and main buildings. Remember- you don’t need experience, just a wish for fun!
Philosophy and Applied Mortality Club (PAM)
Code: hlfaowy
If you like talking ethics, the morality of the world, and questions that may or may not have right or wrong answers, the PAM club might be for you…
The PAM club is new for 2023-2024! Founded by Emerson Wodnick, the club meets every Monday in room 304 and is advised by Mr. Nicholas Hernadaz.
Along with Wodnick, the club is led by Vice President Claire Liu and Secretary Miles Blake (although Wodnick assured me that the club is entirely student-led and everyone has an equal voice/opportunity to lead discussions and meetings).
In meetings, Wodnick tells me that himself, other leaders, or any of the members lead a discussion on a particular topic (altruism, punishment and accountability, and morality have been some of their recent ones, to name a few). It is refreshing to be able to learn from other students’ thoughts and experiences while being able to share your own, all while in a “pretty laid-back environment,” according to Wodnick.
The discussion gives members the opportunity to learn through discussion, and referring to texts that help to give context/evidence for certain arguments makes reading more accessible. (Wodnick told me that the texts PAM looks at is a breath of fresh air from the intensity of the academic reading we are forced to do as students). There are no formal assignments, and content feels spontaneous and student-selected. The PAM Google classroom even featured a Google Form where members can pitch a topic or question for an upcoming meeting.
The PAM club is certainly one of a kind- it is the only official philosophy club currently at MHS, and focuses on a shared interest in learning rather than a skill or hobby that could require extracurricular commitment. Because it is not focused on a single subject, students with all different interests and passions can come together and enjoy discussing everything and anything under the umbrella of philosophy.
You can find the PAM club and some of their activities on their Instagram page @pamclubmhs, hallway flyers, and the daily announcements that come to your email from Ms. Iovine.
Even though PAM is just getting started, they are already thriving, with dozens of consistent attendees and thought-provoking discussions. They even plan to collaborate with other clubs in the near future, like the Phoenix Creative Writing Magazine and the Women in Film club.
Join to add your two cents!
K-Pop Club
Code: x5tnnqv
Wondering what all the fuss is about K-pop, or already a huge fan? Join the K-Pop Club to meet other fans and bond.
Welcome to the all-new K-Pop Club! Junior Kennedy Phillips sophomore Taylor Robison and four other officers founded this club for the 2023-2024 school year- their first meeting was March 6th, and although Phillips told me that her .
The K-Pop Club is advised by Mr. Lamar Bugg and meets every other B-day in room 225. Phillips and her friends’ dedication to the club was sparked years ago, when there was a K-Pop club at MHS. Unfortunately, it fizzled out during the pandemic due to logistics, but Kennedy’s love for K-Pop inspired her to revive the club, and for good reason!
Because the club is centered around love of the music genre, you never have to worry about not being part of the action. Meetings are full of games like song association, Kahoots, icebreakers, or “Guess the Song,” to name a few. A judgment-free space, Phillips and other leaders allow all members to freely discuss whatever they would like that has anything to do with K-Pop. Members like Robinson enjoy the club for the complete break it gives from serious academics, a well-deserved break that we all deserve as we work so hard in class throughout the day. She also enjoys “exposing” other members to songs or groups that they may not be familiar with, and learning about songs/groups that she previously did not know about.
The K-Pop meetings often follow specific themes, like focus on a certain group or a certain type of song according to the season or month. Phillips and Robinson pointed out that the club is the only official music club at the school, so they urge people to “give it a chance” as they continue to build their membership and bring K-Pop to more and more people.
See flyers and more information about the K-Pop Club using the code above, on their Instagram @mhs.kpopclub.mtc , hallway flyers, and a slide on the digital display outside of the main building cafeteria. Meet other K-Pop fans, explore a new genre if you’re curious, or join for a fun opportunity to play games and have music parties (in school!!)
Look at that flier- isn’t it the cutest?!
Book Club
Code: jkatqnx
A space where readers meet their most compatible companions, teach one another about different genres and authors, and discover the wonders of literature!
The Book Club meets every other Thursday in 205, Mr. Meyer’s AP US History classroom (Meyer is the advisor). The club is well-established (Julia Bachmann, Book Club’s president, inherited the club from her sister who was a founding member two years ago). Bachmann, and her sister before her, decided to run the club out of a love for and dedication to reading.
Bachmann is joined by Nora Keorkelt as co-president and Ava Leale as vice president. Along with other members, the club tries to read a 100-200 page book every month, and a short story every meeting or so to keep engagement up. Keorkelt confirmed that members read the club books outside of the club, affording opportunities for members to engage with books and each other, even when it is not a Thursday.
Books are chosen democratically by the club, based on preferred genres and topics, season, and time of year. Bachmann told me that the club is always open to suggestions for books, so all members are sure to be satisfied with book choice. Each meeting presents a few questions or passages from a story/book for discussion, ensuring that everyone’s ideas about the book reach everyone in the club and that all members get a chance to learn as well as teach others about what they are taking from the book.
If you are anxious about having to interact with a large group, not to fear! Bachmann and Keorkelt assured me that Book Club is an intentionally small group, which makes community much more tight-knit and allows for more in-depth and centered discussions, without the stress of feeling like a public speaker when talking about a book.
“Humanities are a dying art form,” Bachmann and Keorkelt said when I asked them what makes their club unique. “Books are so incredibly important because they put you in the shoes of another person.” Being a part of Book Club will not only allow members to enjoy the reading itself, but helps to expose members to different perspectives on all aspects of life through literature, which is less and less celebrated in society today.
Even though the Book Club does not have a currently running Instagram account, see the flyers in the hallway and the code above to get involved- and tell your friends!
Whether you want to develop a new pastime in the Fiber Arts Club or find an outlet for all those philosophical debates you’ve been having internally at PAM, there is an MHS club for you.
This story will be updated intermittently to include more clubs and information about them for students. If you would like your club to be featured on The Mountaineer, please email [email protected].
