New clubs debut at freshman orientation night

 

Last Monday night, the cafeteria was packed with incoming freshmen and their parents, browsing the many clubs Homestead offers. In addition to those presented at freshmen orientation night, 40 different clubs are available for students to take part in.

At this event, groups had tables lined up around the cafeteria with information for the soon-to-be freshmen in hopes that they will join next year. Advisors and student representatives presented their clubs with posters and brochures to the eighth graders and answered any questions. Some clubs even had visual presentations, such as a science experiment from GEMS and many costumes from Drama Club. This night also acted as an opportunity for new clubs to launch and gain potential members. Here are a few new clubs various students recently established:

Model United Nations (Model UN), started by sophomores Emma Como and Alex Castroverde with the help of their advisor Mrs. Schlei, is an educational simulation that replicates processes of the United Nations, and teaches students about world relations and diplomacy. It is offered to those who have an interest in international affairs. Members are split into groups, each representing a different country. These groups spend time researching political, economic and social issues of the country and debating possible solutions. “The mission of the club is that students will have an interacting learning experience that will allow them to research and discuss real world issues,” Castroverde commented. Como and Castroverde aim to take the club to UW-Milwaukee’s Model UN conference next year.

The Creative Writing Club, formed by juniors Hannah Bentley and Danny Klein, along with Mrs. Cicero, is for any student who enjoys to write and read and would like to connect more with their writing. “The purpose of this club, essentially, is to provide a place where students who love to write can be around other students who love to write – they can share their short stories, poems, etc. with each other,” Bentley explained. The club will engage in writer’s critique circles where members submit their work to a group of people, revise the work of the others and discuss positive reactions to the piece and constructive criticism. It also hopes to work with Highlander Publications to provide members with the opportunity to make their work public, designing and publishing it in Borealis Literary Magazine. 

Students Exploring Medicine (SEM) is a club recently founded by freshmen Sangeetha Pillai, sophomores Anvesha Mukherjee and Lizzi White, and juniors Savannah Melan and Nikita Piryani, available to any student interested in science or a potential career in medicine. It was created to expose the medical field to those interested and provide opportunities for members to see the many careers in the field. The club will be watching surgeries at local hospitals, shadowing and listening to doctors and visiting research labs. It will also arrange intern and volunteer options, and specialize members towards specific areas within the medical field. “I am truly looking forward to welcoming all students who are interested in the pursuit of a career in medicine, and I, alongside everyone else on the board, am intent upon increasing the already elevated ambitions of the students at Homestead by providing opportunities for experiences within the medical field,” Mukherjee shared.