SAT Prep, Crochet, Amnesty Among New Club Offerings

Crochet Club meets on Tuesdays during period 10 in room 346B. *Photo: Cristine Lopez*

By KELLY LI and TASHFA UMAIR

with contributions from Joseph Wang and Jaylen Li

The Hive is buzzing with excitement as a swarm of new clubs takes flight, presenting something for everyone. From crafts to academics to politics, students now have a wider array of options to explore where they can connect with peers who have the same interests.

Starting a club requires careful planning and originality. To gain approval, a club has to be unique from other existing clubs at Midwood. Students can also revive clubs that went inactive.

Clubs must have a minimum of three officer positions, including president and vice president, and they also need a faculty advisor. At least one of the officers must be a freshman, sophomore, or junior.

The last step to starting a club is collecting a roster of 20 future student members and their emails, not including the board members.

The person to see for a club request form is Mr. Lawrence Kolotkin, the Coordinator of Student Affairs, in Room 161.

One of this year’s new offerings is the SAT Club, a space where peers come together to develop their test-taking strategies.

Matthew Chen ‘26, the club's president, said, “Through the summer, I took prep classes, and I noticed that there are specific algorithms with the test. I wanted to share them with the school members.”

The club launched with an impressive turnout, attracting over 40 students to its first meeting and an astonishing 120 members online. They meet every Tuesday, periods 10 and 11.

This study group not only teaches lessons in math and English, it also incorporates team competitions, “Jeopardy” rounds, and other interactive challenges.

“This is a good environment, as everyone is able to look to others and how they score and then learn from them,” Chen said.

Social media manager Simon Yu ‘26 echoed the thought, saying, “We can help future test takers improve on their SAT skills as we learn test taking strategies together.”

The board members are attentive to understanding their “students,” gradually identifying their weaknesses and strengths through diagnostic tests.

Abril Flores ‘26 said “it's the fact that they're trying to find what you need to improve on so that you can build on it” that's been so impactful for her.

Ivanna Pylypyak ‘26, another club member, agreed, saying, “They have a bunch of materials and resources to help us study better and harder.”

Another new offering, the Clay Club, is on a mission to help students squash stress and rejuvenate their minds. The club, which has enticed over 90 members to its Google Classroom, meets every Wednesday, 10th and 11th period.

Ever since she was a kid, Min Y Qiu '26, the club’s president, has been a fan of playdough. This grew into a passion for clay-based art. Her club provides students with the opportunity to produce jewelry, Sonny Angel Hippers, magnets, and figures with clay.

“I want students to have the confidence to try new things, as not everyone has the money to do so,” Qiu said.

Besides relieving stress, working with clay could build valuable skills. Qiu said, “You can use clay for your future career if you plan on becoming a dentist, to structure teeth.”

An issue the club faces is continued funding. “We always try to come up with new ideas with clay,” Qiu said. “But we are worried we won’t have the materials before we start a new project.”

The club plans to offer a system soon in which students can make something special for their friends on their birthdays.

Rawan Ismail ‘27, a committed member, arrived with no experience. “I really enjoy myself and I love making fun of my friends' clay,” she said.

Speaking of creative outlets, junior Cristine Lopez’s revival of the Crochet Club has proven highly popular.

“It’s a common stereotype that crochet is ‘just for girls’ or that it’s a ‘granny hobby,’” Lopez said. “I want my club to be a welcoming environment for people to learn and enjoy what they make.”

When Lopez was offered the chance to become president of the club, since it was going to go out of service, she knew she couldn’t refuse the opportunity. “I started to talk to people I knew and asked them if they would be interested, and I received a ton of positive responses,” she said.

Lopez would love to see current members learn how to crochet scarves and sweaters to donate to charities. She also plans to host friendly crocheting competitions. “That would be the year end goal, so that we can see how far everyone has come,” she said.

But there’s more than arts and crafts available after school. Students who are interested in politics also have several options to choose from, including the new Amnesty Club.

Rayann Hababi ‘26, the club’s president, views it as a space for students to advocate for human rights issues and global injustices, such as the suffering from conflicts in the Middle East and Sudan.

Rawan Hababi ‘26, the secretary of the club said, “No matter what age you are, you can still make a difference.”

The club, which meets bi-weekly on Tuesday, periods 9 and 10, has over 70 members in its Google Classroom and even ran out of brownies at their first meeting because of the crowd.

The board members plan to hold educational workshops, have guest speaker events, and raise money for countries that the students choose. Additionally, they want to incorporate bracelet, pin, and t-shirt makings.

Israa Fadha ‘25, the vice president, said, “As teenagers, we should be voices for countries that are struggling and don’t have a voice. This [experience] is something students can take throughout their life to become more empathetic.”

“The people united will never be defeated,” Rawan added enthusiastically.

These new clubs are only the tip of the iceberg. Midwood currently offers over 100 different options to students. Check the club list under the “Students” tab on the school’s website to find a list of all clubs and their meeting times.