Hitting the clubs in 2023

Everything you need to know about clubs

Lucy Forest and Georgia Rozes
September 28, 2023

Students have a variety of clubs to choose from. Joining a club can be a way to meet new people, develop interests and skills, and get involved at school. However, the amount of clubs offered to students can feel daunting, and finding a club that is a good fit can be challenging. This club guide aims to teach all about the clubs that the school has to offer.

Teen Advisory Board

(Georgia Rozes)

Teen Advisory Board (TAB) was created to be a safe space for teenagers to meet and spread knowledge surrounding addiction. It is a part of Community Living Above, a larger organization dedicated to fighting substance abuse. The current president of the club is Jonathan Garcia, senior. TAB meets on the first Friday of each month in the Black Box theater. Their goal is to delay drug use at West Linn and the surrounding community. Finola Cleveland, senior, is also the senior class representative of the club.

“It’s a really good way for kids to break the stigma of drug and alcohol use,” Cleveland said. “Especially during high school, when people can feel a lot of peer pressure to participate in that type of stuff. We focus on creating a space where people don’t feel like they have to do that to be cool or fit in,”

To learn more about TAB, follow them on Instagram @wlhstab or contact their advisers, Cheryl Wilson ([email protected] ) and Pam Pearce ([email protected]).

International Thespian Society

(Lucy Forest )

International Thespian society, or the Thespians, is a club for students who love theater and performing. They meet every Thursday in the Black Box Theater. The club is run by Grace Faust and Sofia Gomez, both seniors. Students in Thespians can qualify to join the International Thespian Society and become an Inducted Thespian.

“You get to compete twice a year, and we encourage anyone with a little bit of interest to join.” An inducted thespian, Elizabeth Meyers, junior said. “Thespians is such a great community for people who enjoy theater, singing, performing, or competing in general.”

To learn more about the Thespians, follow them on instagram @wlhsthespians or contact their advisers, Steve Beckingham ([email protected]) or Annie Kaiser.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

(Lucy Forest)

Fellowship of Christian Athletes, or FCA, is a community for Christian athletes. The club is led by Bode Holland and Emerson Karl, seniors, Silas Reynolds and Mason Perkins, sophomores, and Naomi Oltmans, junior. They meet in the AUX gym every Thursday at lunch.

“We all just get to sit in the presence of one another, and community with one another not just as athletes, but as Christians as well,” Karl said. “It’s finding a community within your school and within your sport.”

For more information about FCA, follow them on instagram @fca_wlhs or contact their adviser, Kaleb McKern ([email protected])

Fiber Arts Club

(Lucy Forest)

Fiber Arts Club was created this year, intended for anyone who is interested in fiber arts such as crochet, knitting, and embroidery. The president of the club is Cadence Cox, sophomore, and the vice president is Lucia LaViolette, sophomore. Fiber Arts Club meets every Monday during lunch in room 704. The goal of the club is to provide a space where fiber artists can come together and bond over their common interest, and learn new art together.

“We need a club for this because there are so many people starting to learn [fiber arts] as it’s become more of a trend lately,” LaViolette said. “It is a lot of fun, and you learn a lot of valuable life lessons through it.”

To learn more about Fiber Arts Club follow them on instagram @fiberartsclubwlhs or contact their adviser, Diane Gauthier ([email protected])

Model United Nations

(Lucy Forest)

Model United Nations (Model UN) is a place meant for students to learn about global issues and have debates. It offers students a chance to be a part of a simulation of the United Nations, and explore their interest in world issues. In the spring, they go to a statewide conference at University of Oregon. Model UN is run by Suhaani Garg, Tristan Brester, and Sara Henry, all juniors. They meet every Wednesday during lunch in room A201.

“I joined [Model UN] because I love learning about the world,” Heuer said. “If you have other friends who are interested, if you are interested in anything global, you just like field trips, you like talking, or meeting new people, you should join Model UN.” Brooklyn Carr Heuer, sophomore, said.

For more about Model UN, follow them on instagram @wlhs.mun or contact their adviser, Gretchen Bertram ([email protected]).

Speech and Debate

(Georgia Rozes)

For students who want to practice their debate skills, Speech and Debate may be the place to go. The club is run by Amelia Deckert, senior, Addi O’Neill, junior, and Jada Trieu, sophomore. Speech and Debate meets every Monday and Wednesday after school in A206. Mondays are mandatory, and Wednesdays are optional from 3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m..

“Speech and Debate is a really fun club where we go all across Oregon debating against different schools about current events topics,”O’Neil said. “I love speech and debate because I met so many new amazing people, even people from other schools, and it really broadened my horizons. I learn a lot, and it makes me feel really good about myself.”

To learn more about Speech and Debate, follow them on instagram @westlinndebate or contact their adviser, Michael Sugar ([email protected]).

Red Cross Club

(Georgia Rozes)

The Red Cross club is a part of the Cascade section of the American Red Cross. They organize blood drives to collect blood and save lives. Meetings are run by president Beatrice Gilroy, and Emme Staten, both seniors. The Red Cross Club is advised by Bryan Geurts every second and fourth Thursday during lunch in the forum. Caroline Nielson, senior, is also a part of the club.

“I’m really passionate about helping people out however I can, and if that means finding donors, having family and friends donate, or just learning about how to be safe, first aid, earthquake safety, all of that stuff is really important to me,”Neilsen said. “I think it’s definitely a great commitment, we only meet every other Thursday, so it's a really great way to spend your time and save some lives in the process.”

For more about the Red Cross Club follow them on instagram @wlhs_redcrossclub or contact their adviser, Bryan Geurts ([email protected]).

Key Club

In room A105 on the first Monday of every month, Key Club meetings are held by student leaders Matthew Hioe and Vanessa Partida, seniors, and advised by Ryan Marsh. Key Club provides volunteer service hours for students wanting to contribute to their community.

“I made so many friends through Key Club and I found a lot of opportunities that I wouldn't have found otherwise, like cleanups and the foodbank, and volunteering at the humane societies,” Konkola said. “There are a lot of things that could interest anyone no matter what they’re interested in.”

Follow Key Club on instagram @wlhs.keyclub or contact their adviser, Ryan Marsh ([email protected]) for more information.

Affinity Club

(Lucy Forest)

Affinity Club is one way for students of color to come together, build connections, and talk about each other’s experiences. Meeting every other Friday in the forum, the club comes together to socialize, learn and teach about students’ cultures, plan events, and host potlucks. In past years, such events have included holding celebrations for Lunar New Year, Diwali, and EID. The club’s meetings are run primarily by president Zoe Tupper, senior, and vice president Suhaani Garg, junior. The club is advised by Megan Mandel.

“We aim to create a safe space where people of color can come together and discuss, socialize, and do social work around the school.” Tupper said.

An example of such social work was the proposal for an Ethnic Studies class last year, which succeeded and was added as a class this year, or getting a meeting with the district admin for future plans and changes for BIPOC culture at West Linn High School.

Other subgroups of Affinity Club include ISU (Indigenous Student Union), LSU (Latino Student Union), API (Asian Pacific-Islander club), BSU (Black Student Union), and MESA (Middle Eastern South Asian), are all subgroups of Affinity Club. To find out more about these subgroups, check out their Instagram profiles: @wlhs_isu, @wlhs.lsu @wlhsapiclub, @wlhs.bsu, @wlhs.mesa, and @wlhs.mecha.

To learn more about Affinity Club follow them on instagram @wlhs_affinityclub or contact their adviser, Megan Mandel ([email protected]).

Robotics Team FRC 7034

(Lucy Forest)

The Robotics Team is for anyone interested in STEM topics or marketing and business. Both a team and a club, robotics can build community through problem solving and teamwork, while simultaneously giving students hands-on experience working with the technology. The robotics program is run by Tim Manes, and led by a team of student leads focusing on various aspects of robotics. The Robotics Team meets Tuesdays and Thursdays before school from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in the lab (room 715). Lauren Gault, junior, is also a part of Robotics.

“I’ve always had a passion for STEM, I really love engineering and it's a field I eventually want to go into,” Gault said. “I took one of the summer camps and then I just didn’t stop coming into the lab.”

The Robotics Team is open to everyone, regardless of your prior level of experience.

“It’s not as scary as you think it is, you don't need any experience, and if you want to learn anything related to robotics, we’ll teach you, and if we can’t teach you, we’ll learn with you,” Gault said.

On the other side of the Robotics Team is the marketing, outreach, and business division of the Robotics Team. Running the non-profit business for the Robotics Team, they are in charge of managing the funding, doing marketing, and organizing community outreaches. Students will learn how to do budgeting, fundraising, creating flyers, and running social media accounts.

To learn more about Robotics follow them on instagram @team_7034 or contact their adviser, Tim Manes ([email protected]).

Feminism Club

(Georgia Rozes)

Interested in promoting feminism at West Linn High School? Join the Feminism Club in room E104 any Tuesday to talk about gender related issues around the school and take action within the community. Run by Elise Row, sophomore, and advised by Ryan Mooney, Feminism Club aims to create a safe space for conversations about gender equality to take place.

“I’m really passionate about feminism, I always have been,” Row said. “I think that [Feminism Club] is a great community for all students, but specifically girls in the school who often don’t feel like their voice is heard.”

For more details about the Feminism Club, follow them on instagram @wlhsfeminismclub or contact their adviser, Ryan Mooney ([email protected]).

American Sign Language Club

(Georgia Rozes)

Students interested in learning about American Sign Language may consider joining ASL club in E101 the third Wednesday of every month. The club aims to help spread awareness on deaf culture. At meetings led by president Paetyn Rector, junior, and advised by Emily Watson, the ASL club will have culture lessons, learn about nearby establishments owned by people who are deaf and teach signs. This club strives for an accepting, welcoming environment for anyone, no matter their knowledge on ASL.

To learn more about ASL Club, follow them on instagram @wlhs_aslclub or contact their adviser, Emily Watson ([email protected]).

CTE Environmental Science Club

CTE (College and Technical Education) Environmental Science Club is a club open to anyone with a love of the environment and exploring outdoors. The club is a part of the CTE program, which allows students the opportunity to explore different career options while in high school. CTE Environmental Science Club does this by providing students with the ability to meet local scientists and learn what their life could be like after high school in an environmentally focused career. If a student completes three credits of varying environmental science courses, they will earn a CTE cord and certificate.

The club is run by Caroline Nielsen, senior, Finn Howell, and Kaelyn Jones, both juniors. CTE Environmental Science Club meets every other Tuesday during lunch in room 706. Club activities include field trips, both overnight and day trips, climate marches, and volunteering opportunities. Participating in these activities isn’t required to be a club member, but is highly recommended.

For more about the Environmental Science Club, follow them on instagram @wlhscteenvisci or contact their advisers, Jim Hartmann ([email protected]) or Geoff Bingham ([email protected]).

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About the Contributors

Lucy Forest, Copy Editor

Georgia Rozes, Staff Reporter