The 2023-24 school year is now in full swing, which brings new faces, experiences, and clubs. Woodgrove has always offered an abundance of opportunities to engage in the school community through the participation in clubs, but this year is more notable than any other. Club attendance and size is at an all time high, with over 500 passes issued in the first week of clubs this year. No doubt, the club climate at Woodgrove is expanding, making it tough for students to stay up to date on new club additions.
Writers rejoice that the new Creative Writing club, founded by junior, Iza Piatkowski. This club offers an outlet for writers to connect, share, and enjoy writing in a creative space. Additionally, Creative Writing Club offers young writers opportunities to compete through the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and the YoungArts competition.
Women in STEM has also been added to Woodgrove’s list of new clubs. The goal of this club is to advocate for women in the field and provide resources for young women interested in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics by introducing them to STEM professionals. Although the name would imply a women-only organization, club officer, senior Ashley Gingerich, passionately spoke about leaving the door open for all types of people, even men, to bring in diverse scientific and networking opportunities.
Long awaited from the creative community is Woodgrove’s Art club, started by Laelle Haines and Grace Harvey. This club aims to give all students the opportunity to participate in art through studio times where students can create with no limits. This offers an environment for students of all art disciplines to simply create. Students are welcome to join even if they have no prior experience in art. Woodgrove has had a fair share of Art clubs in the past, but none have lasted. Club advisor Mr. Demark displayed excitement when stating, “This is the biggest art club we’ve had in Woodgrove history!”.
If you are not an artist, maybe athletics are more your style. Junior John Hays, along with junior Woodgrove Volleyball player, Cameron Krebs, started the Beach Volleyball club this year. With the recent growth of the indoor sport, both officers help advertise the outdoor sport aiming to inform students that beach is just as easy to enjoy as indoor even without beaches. Ultimately, Krebs and Hays encourage students of all skill sets to play whether they are joining for offseason practice or in Krebs’ words, “athletics for people in a less intimidating way.” Whether you are planning to participate in current clubs or create one of your own, clubs are a great way to engage in our school community.