It’s your first year at Eagle Rock JR/SR high school and you’ve heard about the great clubs that this school offers. From yearbook to art and drama to music, ERHS offers academic clubs galore and more! Yet there’s always one thing that stops you from joining a club. Where and what exactly are the clubs at this school? How can I join a club that wasn’t at club day, or what if I missed out on club day? This club sickness plagues the younger generations of our school and ultimately stops them from truly enjoying the Eagle Rock experience.
If you’re one of the unfortunate students who suffer from this sickness, then we have the solution for you! This guide will help you discover new clubs, what they do, and how you can not only have fun but also benefit from them. In order to help those who struggle to find a club, we made a survey about the clubs of ERHS, their popularity, and people’s interest in it. With over 50 responses, all of them coming from different grade levels, here are our top clubs that you should join!
BRIDGES
“Once a month I meet up with mentees and I guide them in all things high school and all things middle school, [to] help with the transition from a small elementary school to a huge high school,” BRIDGES mentor, Leslie Garcia comments. BRIDGES, sponsored by Mr. Hicks, is a great club for the new saplings of our school to grow and prosper in a high school environment. BRIDGES creates a friendly and nurturing atmosphere so there’s no awkward energy. If you’re a junior or senior and you want to help the new generations of this school, then become a mentor! And for 7th graders who are still lost at this school, BRIDGES is the club for you! Stop by room 216 and talk to Mr. Hicks if you’re interested.
ROBOTICS
“Every year we participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition. We’re assigned a game and we have to build a robot that could adjust to it,” says robotics member, Nadine Tang. In robotics, you not only learn how to build a robot, but you also exercise skills in leadership and creativity. This year the game is Infinite Recharge, which is sponsored by Star Wars. Even though you have to dedicate a lot of effort to robotics, it all pays off in the end when you see your robot on the field. If you’re interested in joining robotics, visit room S5 (it’s on the second floor of the building by the south gym).
ASB
ASB is the backbone of our school. Each person in ASB specializes in different aspects of our school’s activities. Working simultaneously on the school dances, entertainment, and publicity, ASB has a plateful of work to do. ASB member Amber Baluyot helps facilitate our school dances. They come up with themes, decorations, and more. She says that even though ASB is a lot of work, it helps members build relationships and develop leadership skills. If you’re interested in helping our school, consider joining ASB! You can join by seeing Mr. Oswald in the IB office or visiting your counselor.
YEARBOOK
“Yearbook is about taking pictures and trying to capture the moment. We recap the school year, we try to represent different people from our diverse community and the school,” says staff member Samantha Galavez. TOTEM Yearbook, sponsored and run by Mrs. Youngblood, lets students of ERHS take part in the making of the yearbook. Those with creative minds, visionary eyes, or a burning passion to represent our community can find a home at TOTEM. Want to join? Talk to Mrs. Youngblood in room 218.
SAGA
If you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community or support anybody who’s a part of it, then we’ve got the right club for you. “In this club, what I find most exciting is helping others, and learning more about the community. It’s also exciting knowing that people are not alone and have a place to go to when they need help or if anything is bothering them about their sexuality,” says Alexis Gaytan, a committed member of SAGA. It’s a place where you can be yourself and be accepted for it. It’s also where you can help support and give advice to those who struggle with sexuality or gender identity in any way. “If someone is having trouble with accepting who they are, or if they are like me, someone who supports the LGBTQ community and want to learn more and help others, then you should definitely join SAGA.” If you are interested in joining this club, then you can talk to Ms. Kissam. The meetings take place in room 120.
VIDEO PRODUCTION
“I want to be a director when I grow up, so I felt like this was the club for me,” said Ravi Smith, a member of Video Production. If you also have dreams about being a part of the film industry, joining Video Production is the first step. This is a club where you can learn how to make movies while having fun in the process. “We learn about editing and creating films. We also learn about sets and set designs and all the requirements and needs to make a movie; I would definitely recommend this class.” If you are interested in joining this club, then talk to Mr.Cohen, in room S7c.
ANIMAL AWARENESS
Environmental issues are always in the back of young peoples’. Want to help contribute to the change? Join Animal Awareness. Members of Animal Awareness “Talk about animal preservation and the importance of maintaining diversity and make posters to get more members to join,” according to Mr. Yee, the club’s sponsor. Mr. Yee’s message to readers is to “come join the club if you love animals, care about the environment, and you want to be part of the change to make the world a better place.” If you are interested in becoming a member of the Animal Awareness club, meetings are Mondays at lunch in room 306.
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
Model United Nations, or MUN, is a club that replicates The United Nations. Members of MUN prepare for and compete as delegates in Model UN Conferences. They learn about the different perspectives of nations on global issues and try to create solutions. Students should join MUN if “They are interested in foreign policy and international relations, want to build their speaking and negotiating abilities, and engage in interesting debates with people from varying perspectives,” says Ms. Clark, who sponsors the club. If you are interested in joining MUN next year, you can get an application from Ms. Clark in room 205.
WISH
Are you interested in helping others? Eagle Rock Wish might be the club for you. Wish raises money to fund children with terminal illnesses. Ms. Lee, the club’s sponsor, recommends joining Wish because “It’s a good cause. Make a difference.” If you are interested in joining Eagle Rock Wish, meetings are every other Wednesday at lunch in B2.
JOURNALISM
Like writing? Journalism might be the class for you. Students taking Journalism write and produce content for the school newspaper, the Eagle’s Scream, which you are reading right now. The newspaper’s Editor in Chief, Lola Selby, says “Students will spend class time researching, conducting interviews, [and] writing their articles.” If you are in high school and interested in being in Journalism next year, talk to your counselor about taking it as an elective. Middle schoolers who are interested in taking Journalism next year must consult Mr. Hicks (who teaches the class) first, as it is invitation only.
KEY CLUB
Community Service is an assignment that most students struggle with completing every year. Fortunately, our school has a Key Club. Key Club is where you can get all your community service done by attending the club’s events, such as dog festivals, beach cleanings, and many more. It’s also a social club where you can meet and make new friends. “Key Club is a service-based organization where we do community service and volunteering. It’s actually really fun and you get to meet new people and make new friends,” says Lesly Sabroso, the vice president of Key Club.
FLY CLUB
Are you interested in helping the homeless? How about learning useful life skills? Well if you are, then we’ve got the right club for you! Join Fly Club - It’s a club where you can do these things at the same time contribute and help those in need while also learning skills applicable to everyday life. This club even helps out the homeless by gifting bags to them! “I believe people should this club because it gives you many opportunities, and it’s a chance for you to learn about life skills that you might not learn in any other place,” says Elizabeth Camargo, marketing officer of Fly Club. The meetings are every Thursday in the cafeteria from 3:00 to 4:15, and it’s sponsored by Christian Assembly and Kids Hope.