‘Equal parts science and fun’

Matilda Milner, Coverage editor|February 26, 2019

Fingers+stretched+to+preserve+palms+from+sticky+glue%2C+club+founder+Morgan+Misra+lays+paper+mache+on+model+planets.++

Andrea Secchi

Fingers stretched to preserve palms from sticky glue, club founder Morgan Misra lays paper mache on model planets.

There is no shortage of student organized clubs, with 26 listed on the club board. Clubs are promoted to students through announcements over the Live Roar, or the club fair at the beginning of the school year.

However, a club can occasionally fall through the cracks. Astronomy club, for example, has been in the works since last year, but missed both opportunities for promotion.

“The end of last year, I talked to my club sponsor Mr. Isensee about it, but I started it this year,” Club founder Morgan Misra, junior, said.  “We’re not super out there, but we’re also not very established either, I bet next year is going to be a lot better.”

Club meetings are different day to day, focusing on learning about astronomy through an engaging and hands on approach.

“It’s pretty much different every time, right now what we’re doing is we’re building a mock solar system, and paper mache-ing it. We did kahoots and stuff. We’re trying to figure out a good rhythm that everyone falls into,” Misra said.

Astronomy has been one of Misra’s interests for awhile. “It’s definitely been something I like to do by myself,” Misra said. “The thing is, we don’t have an astronomy class at the school, I want to learn more about it. I’m learning along with everyone else.”

While the club exists to supplement the lack of an astronomy class, the meetings are meant to incorporate different learning styles.

“We want it to be equal parts science and fun,” Misra said. “We don’t really want it to be a class. It’s generally just an appreciation for astronomy and space in general.”

So what does the future of Astronomy club look like as it gets more established? Misra intends for the club to go on field trips to learn about space in a more real life setting.

“We want to go to the planetarium at OMSI, Rosemont has a telescope that we can use for stargazing,” Misra said.

Astronomy club meets in science teacher Jonathon Isensee’s room, C203.

“It was every other Friday, but we’re moving it to like every other Friday,” Misra said. “We have a google classroom and an instagram that we post that stuff on.”