Everyone has heard of the prominent clubs: Orphanage Club, World Vision and the various events they host and do.  But out of the fifty plus clubs available to students in the Upper school, how many do you really know about?  The range of students actively participating in clubs is diverse, and in the throng of the club fair “It is difficult to really learn about the details of each club and their specialties.” said Eileen Wang (11).

Students may have been keeping note and following the various concerts Rocker’s Union have held thus far into the school year. Sponsored by Upper School English Department Chair, Mr. Leon Maggio and meeting every Monday at FLEX in 2B35, Rocker’s Union’s goal is to, as treasurer Lawrence Chang (11) put it, “encourage and inspire the student body’s passion for music.” Ranging from drums to acoustic guitar, there is a wide range of instruments students can choose to learn from experienced members.

As president of Rocker’s Union, who also plays and teaches the drums and guitar, Brian Liao (12) said, “My aim is to get as many members of the student body involved in the music scene outside of the school curriculum; our club activities encompass networking musicians to each other to jam, to club members teaching each other instruments.”

To showcase their members’ talents, the Rocker’s Union tries to host at least one performance a month in the courtyard or lobby. According to Brian, the club officers try to maintain a lively atmosphere by letting meetings go their course during discussion, or with a brief outline on the blackboard to follow if he feels the need to keep discussions focused. Recently the club is trying out a new seminar for guitar lessoning as many members have expressed interest in learning guitar, and club officers wish to follow through on that interest.

Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and American Eagle are commonly known brands amongst students in the Upper School. In a school whose students seem to care about fashion as much as we do, it is surprising how few students know about the I Love Art&Fashion club. When interviewed, Xiu Lin Chao (11), said “I didn’t even know it existed before you asked me.”

The club sponsor is Upper School English Teacher, Ms. Janelle Mayer, and meetings are held in room 2B18 at FLEX every Thursday. Ryan Meng (11), the president of this club, simply stated that the motivation behind forming the club   was his own “passion for fashion”.

“I just felt the urge to do something fashion related, because there are no courses in school that are designed specifically for fashion design, and I want to offer the student body a place where they will be able to simply talk, learn, and be somewhere where they can share their knowledge about fashion.” Ryan reiterated. During the club’s presentation, members take turns sharing a new article of fashion they stumbled upon during the week, for example, news about designers, or simply the more unique objects of fashion they have noticed around school, or on the streets. In short, this is where students share their views, opinions, or even their own designs of the latest fashions.

Indians being a minority in TAS, the Indian Culture Club (ICC)’s goal is to share with the school community the various aspects of Indian culture, and to expand the student body’s perspective on a way of life that most students have studied about and heard of, but with little to no experience in. Geetu Vanjani (12) is the president of the ICC, which is sponsored by Upper School Science Teacher Mr. Steve Orensky.

As Lisa Lobo (11) said, “Normally each club meeting has a theme to it, so one day it might be about the aspects of Indian society, or Indian traditions, food, clothing, etc.” The club officers prepare a presentation on their topic, usually bringing along physical object to show and tell (for example a sari if the particular topic was about Indian clothing.)

A common misconception among students is that the ICC is extremely similar to honor societies, where a potential member has to be knowledgeable about the subject. This is a myth, as Lisa reaffirmed. “One of the main aims of this club is to let everyone in on what Indian culture is all about, so it’s exciting when non-Indians join the club. You don’t need prior knowledge about India to join, only an interest in the culture.”