Ella Sundstrom ’21
Hollis Dupont ’21
Maiah Islam ’21
This year’s club fair was one of the biggest in school history, featuring seventy-six diverse clubs, including both old and new favorites. The familiar faces of JUNTO, Prism, and Speak Up!, as well as younger clubs like Cheese Club, Financial Literacy, and Farming, all took to the green to recruit eager students.
JUNTO, the debate club, is popular among students who wish to learn the basics of debate and grow their thinking skills. When asked about the benefits of joining JUNTO, Brendan DePillis ‘20 said, “JUNTO is really good if you want to learn about debate, the values of real conversation and learning from other people’s perspectives. A lot of the time you’re not debating from a perspective that you necessarily agree with but it’s your job anyway to prove a point and try to convince people.” JUNTO allows students to explore controversial topics and forces them to step out of their comfort zones
Stock Market Club is designed to teach students about the economy and how to benefit from it, created two years ago by Adam Lavallee, Upper School Economics teacher. Jimmy Bruder ‘21 expresses the advantages of learning more about the stock market, “It is one of the few things that everyone can do and everyone can make money out of.” Members of the club get hands-on investing experience by playing a stock market simulation game that corresponds to the real market.
SpeakUp! Club gives students the opportunity to discuss difficult topics that affect today’s teenagers in a safe place. Club president Skylar Lingo says, “We should try to close the generation gap between parents and students. And also help parents understand what we’re going through, and help students understand what parents go through.” SpeakUp! topics include peer pressure, struggles with confidence, and healthy communication.
As for the Cheese Club, co-president and co-founder, RJ Glaser, had a lot to say about the return of his club. Cheese club is rebounding from a rough first year, and when asked about the struggles of starting a new club he described the problems as “limitless.” He explained that, “It first started with people not accepting the cheese club as a legitimate club. (What’s next?)” The founder is brings a spirit that resembles something bigger than cheese; resilience, with a luxuriously soft, balanced, and savory flavor.
Prism is a club for members of the LGBTQ communtiy at Episcopal. When asked about why students should join Prism, Ruth Engelman ‘21 stated, “It’s a really safe space to talk about things that you might not be able to talk about in a typical school environment.”
The Classics Club combines fun with an appreciation for Ancient Greek and Roman culture. Club leader Alyssa Sheffy ’19 explained, “Anyone can join, if you’re interested in Classics, that’s awesome!” She said students want to be in her club to “get to know Classics more than just in the classroom. They want to have food and movies and see how it pertains to modern life.”
For many students clubs are a great opportunity to expand their horizons, explore new passions, or just have fun. With 76 clubs there is one for everyone.