At 7:30, while the rest of the school is half awake, junior Isaac Moldofsky and the app development club are hard at work, brainstorming every idea they have for a new game, app, or anything else programmable. Isaac is in the center of the room, taking in all of the suggestions he can hear. In between bites of his free doughnut (courtesy of Moldofsky himself), one student suggests making a clone of the mobile game 2048. Another member throws out an idea for a tower defense game. One student even proposes a better grading system for Niles West.

Matt Fahrenbacher, the computer science teacher and the sponsor for the app club, has to put down a few ideas for various reasons, but overall he approves most. Even for the ideas that don’t work, Moldofsky offers a similar, alternative that is possible. By the end of the discussion, the board is filled with all the different projects and who is working on what. looking at the board, everyone has determination on their face. They are ready to get started, and they are ready to have something that they can call their own.

From learning basic programming to remaking old-school video games, the programming skill level of the members of Moldofsky’s club varies, but they all have one thing in common: they love computer science.

“Everyone in the club wants to make something,” says Fahrenbacher. “A game, an app to help others, etc. We all are interested in using computers and coding to develop something that we can call our own.”

Moldofsky says he created app development club because when he first started with web development, all of the toolsets and languages involved were very overwhelming. He wants the club to be there for any other student who wants to learn web development, and he hopes the club will make it easier for them.

“I hope that by the end of the year everyone can honestly say that they’ve improved their teamwork and programming skills,” he says.

Fueled by good ideas and free doughnuts, Moldofsky and the app development team are probably the hardest-working students in the school before the first period.

“Coding is for eager learners who enjoy challenges, be the challenge a mobile app, a game, a website, etc.,” he says. “The club is open to anyone who wants to work on projects/improve their skills, regardless of their knowledge of computer science.”

On top of being a great resource for students to learn, app development club is a very welcoming environment.

“My favorite part of the club is the welcoming environment to both experienced and novice computer scientists,” says Dalton Crutchfield, senior and member of the app development club.

Moldofsky is confident that the club is going to get bigger as time goes by, and already has plans for app development’s future.

“We might have a hackathon in the future (have to build an app in 24 straight hours), and are planning some projects at the moment,” he says. “I’d probably like to move the club to after school so we have more time each meeting.”

App development club meets every Thursday before school from 7:30 to 8:10 in room 1235.