Students are starting the year off strong with a wave of new clubs that celebrate culture, creativity, and community. From Central Asian traditions to Eastern European heritage to comics and all things geeky, there is something new for everyone to check out and get involved in.
The Central Asian Student Association (CASA) is one of the new additions. The club was created because its founders, seniors Fatema Bibi and Kayenat Bahadur, believed Central Asian voices and cultures are often underrepresented. They wanted a place where students could connect with their roots, represent their heritage and share it with others. This year, CASA plans to host cultural events like Nowruz and Shabe Yalda, show Central Asian movies, share food at potlucks and read Persian poetry together.
“I love when students take the initiative to start clubs. I also have a personal tie—my mom’s family is from Turkmenistan, and after teaching overseas, I became close with people from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. I fell in love with their warmth, hospitality, food, poetry, and traditions like Nowruz, which made sponsoring CASA a perfect fit,” CASA sponsor Anja Arseven said.
The Fictional Media Club is another space where students are building community. Sponsor Richard Foerch first got involved when asked to support a student after school and was introduced to the club’s mission: to be a safe space for people who love all things geeky.
“The atmosphere was so positive and supportive that when the old sponsor transferred schools, I was happy to step in,” Foerch said.
Cultural celebration is also at the heart of the Eastern European Student Association (EESA), which is launching as a trial club this year. Sponsor Kristen Jackson explained that sophomores Maya Okaz and Nikol Kuzemkova pitched the idea last spring. Confident in their leadership, Jackson said yes. EESA’s goal is to bring together students with Eastern European backgrounds and give them an opportunity to celebrate and share their culture.
“I agreed to because they are motivated and organized so I knew they would be good co-presidents,” Jackson said.
Students asked mathematics teacher Jada Coakley to sponsor, and despite not having much comic book experience, she agreed to help out so fans could finally have a place to geek out together and express their creativity.
With CASA, Fictional Media Club, EESA and the Comic Book Club all starting up, students now have even more opportunities to celebrate their cultures, explore their creativity and strengthen their sense of community. Trial clubs may apply for permanent status starting in the second semester.
