Just this year, Bernards High School has welcomed several new clubs into the school. Students can create a new club with enough members who are interested in joining the club. Then, they need to get approval from the school administration, most notably Dr. Neigel, to begin meetings. On this topic, Dr. Neigel explains that he and other staff members evaluate “whether the club will be sustainable for years to come. I then notify the students who proposed the club of the decision, and meet with them and the advisor if the club is approved.”
Students tend to create colorful posters that stand out to the student body. From there, the organizers — usually one or two teachers and a few students — schedule meeting days and an agenda. The purpose behind these clubs is to celebrate issues that may not be recognized. All the time. They also give students opportunities to talk about and teach others about interests they have. Several clubs that have recently been added are the AAPI Club, Investing Club, and the LIFE Club.
The Investing Club teaches students how to manage money for the future by using a website called “The Stock Market Game.” Milo Consolla-Kutsuna ‘27 is one of the founding members of the club. He remarks, “As the club grows and my experience increases, I plan on incorporating more events such as guest speakers and weekly competitions to keep the club going.” This club has a large number of students who are participating in the challenge. Mr. Szostak, the AP Economics teacher, advises the club. Consolla-Kutsana adds, “Investing is a useful and fun skill for the future, and making this game into a club was a no-brainer for me.
Additionally, the high school has recently welcomed the AAPI (Asian-American Pacific Islander) Club and the LiFE (Living for Eternity) Club. The former is run by Jessica Fu ‘26 and Lila Beckerman ‘25. Jessica Fu, when asked about her intentions of making the club, says “we created AAPI Club to spread and share Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures and stories. Especially as a school with little diversity, we want to teach people what it means to be AAPI through fun activities that are also culturally educational!” It celebrates these ethnic groups and their customs. The latter is run by Silje Emery ‘24. She made this club to spread her beliefs about Christian faith to others.
In sum, it is great to see all of these students going above and beyond, creating clubs to showcase their interests to the school and allowing all of their peers to experience new areas that they have never experienced before. If you have time, look further into these clubs by joining the Google Classroom pages and attending a meeting. Reach out to the students listed above with any questions.