BMUFSD: Briarcliff High School Holds A Club Fair For Ninth Graders

Press release from the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District:

2023-09-08

Jazz band or chemistry? Coding or debate?

One of the ninth graders’ biggest challenge at Briarcliff High School this year is going to be choosing which clubs to join. With no less than 38 options to choose from, there really is something for everyone.

As part of their orientation before the school year officially began, ninth graders attended a club fair, where they met with upperclassmen and learned about the different clubs the school has to offer.

We spoke with several club officers to find out what makes their club special.

Asian Club:

“Anyone can join the club,” said President Leahna Rodriguez. “It’s a place where you can explore and appreciate other people’s cultures. This year I hope to incorporate more crafts and hands-on activities that are related to Asian holidays. I am Filipino-American and this club means a lot to me because my old school never had anything Asian-related like a club. Last year, for Filipino Heritage Month, I did a presentation and brought in a lot of food and had a big showing. I received good feedback and it made me feel good about my culture.”

Cosmos Club:

“This club is new this year,” said President Meera Deswale. “I started it because I love space and I wanted others to learn about space and have fun. We will be covering lots of space news and I hope we can go on field trips to go stargazing at parks with my telescope, plus have debates about topics related to space, such as about aliens, how to face the problem of space junk, etc. We will also do crafts related to particle physics experiments. I recently found out about something called a cloud chamber. Muons are subatomic particles that are invisible, but they are everywhere, and with a cloud chamber, you can see them streaking through the air.”

Chemistry Club:

“We do a lot of fun experiments in this club,” said co-president Joey Berger. “Last year we did food-related experiments, such as rock candy and also slime, which a lot of people enjoyed. This year we hope to do more food-related experiments and a field trip to maybe a cheese shop to see how they make cheese.”

Co-president Mirabel Solomon said “We want to make it more accessible for the younger students who have not taken chemistry yet so they will be fun, easy experiments.”

Debate Club:

“One of the most important things about the club is that you have to prepare questions on the fly,” said Co-President Gautam Gupta. “You can research about a topic, but at the competition you have to be quick on your feet, so I think it helps develop public speaking skills. You will also have to argue both for and against the topics. Last year, we made it to the finals.”

Finance Club:

“This club has been around for two years,” said Toby Young, who is one of the four co-presidents. “Last year we played the Stock Market Game and ran it throughout the year. We plan on doing it again this year –it was a big hit because it’s very interactive. The game is similar to investing in real life, but simplified. We will also have a prize at the end for the winning team. Last year it was donuts.”

Bear Bones Club:

“The club is a fun way for students to express themselves. You don’t have to be a performer, it’s also for writers,” said Co-President Scarlett Young.

Fantasy Football Club:

“We started the club last year,” said Chris D’Onofrio, one of the four co-presidents and co-founders of the club. “We meet once a week and we typically have discussions about what we think will happen next week. We also plan to form a league together of the students in the club. When the Superbowl ends, the club ends, so it’s not a full-year commitment.”

Keep your eyes out for an updated list of clubs, which will be posted during the week of September 18 and which will include full description of all of the clubs.

This press release was produced by the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.