If a company were to conduct rankings of high schools by the intensity in which their students participate in after-school activities, AHS would certainly obtain an impressive classification. Within the past several years, students at AHS have become increasingly involved in humanitarian-related clubs. If one was to scan the list of incorporated clubs at AHS, they would find at least eight clubs whose mission it is to better AHS or its surrounding community.
A quick indicator of the number of students involved in causes greater than their own can be found in the fact that out of 2,600+ students enrolled in AHS, in the Key Club alone, there are 168 members. That by itself is definitely an impressive number. With all that man-power, not only are some of the most active clubs at AHS able to flaunt their numbers, such as the Green Atoms, Just World, Key Club, but they are able to make a tangible difference in our community.
According to the Key Club president senior Lillian Singer, the involvement of students in different programs within the school is what drives the numbers of membership up so high.
“Key Club is one of the largest clubs in AHS and we’ve certainly seen a rise in membership this year. Since more people are doing the IB and MYP Programs, they need more service. It’s also a good way to spend time with friends who are part of the club,” Singer said.
The members of Key Club are also a motivated bunch. “We work on doing a variety of in-house and community projects to benefit the local community,” Singer added.
Another bustling club at AHS is the Just World Club. It is most known for the program they host every year at AHS, the Just World Festival, which draws speakers and groups from around the East Coast. This year, the Just World Festival will be held on Friday, Feb. 25
According to Just World President Daniel Park, besides hosting this stupendous event, members of the club participate in other activities throughout the year. “As of now, we do the Just World Festival, one of the largest events of the year. Also, we’re doing the Relay for Life, and on top of that, we always encourage [our members] to do other projects, or their own projects,” Parks boasted.
If you are not a part of this club and have time, Just World should definitely trump your list of clubs to look into. The opportunities they provide for their members to participate in are unique in this school.
So, as the benefitting of our community, citizens, and causes have been covered by other clubs, what else could their possibly be? Well, the environment of course! The last of the “big three” clubs focusing on humanitarian efforts here at AHS is the Green Atoms, a club that has risen in popularity quite recently. This club focuses on cleaning up our world. Throughout the year, the Green Atoms club cooperates with the Key Club to include as many people as possible in their school-wide clean-ups.
The Green Atoms club also supports the recycling program that AHS possesses, due to budget shortfalls. Without the Green Atoms, all the waste that Annandale produces, paper included, would simply be sent to the landfills. This noble cause attracts many members, among the causes of the other two clubs that were mentioned.
Between these clubs, AHS students have the opportunity to affect almost every aspect of their community in a beneficial way, a truly commendable fact.
