At LSE, Club Day doesn’t mean you just get a free pass out of class. It means finding a community of people who share similar interests and passions, whether it be a shared love for a genre of music, interest in other cultures, watching sports or trying to help others in need, LSE seems to have a club for everyone.
This year, LSE added 12 new clubs to the roster. One of these new clubs is Miracle Makers, a club hosted by Caitlin Gray that’s all about making activities and fundraising money for kids with cancer and other diseases. This club was started second semester of last year and was introduced by a student rather than by Gray.
“Malcolm Thornock is actually the one who approached me about it,” Gray said “He was inspired by Dance Marathon where they raise money for cancer research.”
Last year, the club spent time learning about organizations, like the Ronald McDonald House, which provides a temporary, home-like environment for families to stay in while their children are receiving medical treatment at nearby hospitals. Gray said the club plans to fundraise and donate money to this charity. They will do fundraising and donate to a place like the Ronald McDonald House.
“Each meeting will be another step towards our fundraising process. [At] the first meeting, we will decide what each meeting will be like, what step in the process each of the meetings will be, and then we’ll do another planning process,” Gray said.
For those unsure if they want to join Miracle Makers, it may be important to note that, according to Gray, the club is open to “anybody who just wants to make an impact [for those] who’ve been impacted by a terminal illness”.
Another new club at LSE is the AAPI Club, sponsored by math teacher Misaki Sandridge. AAPI stands for Asian American Pacific Islander, and the club is designed as a space for students to explore Asian cultures and communities.
While the group is still deciding on what activities to pursue, many members are interested in showcasing cultural performances.
“We have a good number of Vietnamese students in the club, and for Lunar New Year they’re interested in doing a Fan Dance,” Sandridge said, adding that the students would also like to perform at a Pep Rally or Nite of Knights, which is LSE’s talent show.
Although AAPI explores Asian culture, it is, according to Sandridge, open for “anyone who is interested in learning something about Asian cultures.”
Sandridge, who is Japanese, is excited about growing the club and including any students who want to learn more about all the different, rich cultural traditions, food or holidays that they will explore.
Another thing that students might not know about clubs is that it is possible for them to make their own, as well as run it.
As new clubs are added and start to grow, the sponsors say the most rewarding part is seeing students take ownership of their passions.
For AAPI, Sandridge said that students in the club have even communicated with other schools in LPS to see if they can have a social with their AAPI Clubs.
“They’re just very ambitious,” Sandridge said. “They are really taking initiative and making it what they want.”
