With 60 clubs offered at Latin, many students find the vast number of options overwhelming, yet equally intriguing. But understanding each club’s responsibilities can be unclear, as well as what sort of agreement students make when they put their name on an email list.

Latin’s large variety of clubs encompass many interests. Offerings range from clubs such as Champions of Wall Street, Females in Finance, Latin Marketing Club, Latin Book Club, Latin Games Club, Cyber Patriot, Robotics, Math Team, The Forum, Latin Literature—the opportunities are endless. A strong community can often be found within the current clubs, and if not, a student can start their own.

“Clubs can be a great place for student leadership, so I try and give [students] the space to do so,” Director of Student Life Tim Cronister said. “After all, Latin’s mission statement is helping kids find their individual passions.”

Similarly, Dean of Community Learning Suzanne Callis said, “I want clubs to be student driven and always speak for students here.”

Senior Jay Verma is the head of Cyber Patriot, Latin’s club for national Cyber Patriot competitions in which students work to fix vulnerabilities on certain browsers. He mentioned the time commitment involved saying, “I expect people who join my club to put in as much time as they said they would commit, especially when signing up for competitions.” Time commitment in clubs is largely dependent on a person’s level of interest. Jay added, “Really, I don’t expect much, it’s just a fun way for people to explore their interests.”

To establish a new club, students undergo multiple steps to make their ideas a reality. Sophomore Kai Gosebruch said it took about three weeks to find both an advisor, a budget, and a physical space in the Upper School for his club. “[Sophomore Shiv Opal] and I worked closely with Ms. Callis to find a place for our club,” Kai said.

For sophomore Sammy Rubinov, participating in Chess Club allows him to de-stress and focus on a hobby. “Chess is a sport that, at least for me, is really a time where I can exercise my brain doing an activity that doesn’t stress me out,” he said. To highlight the connection to be had in clubs Sammy said, “It’s also a great time to meet new people, and, of course, improve your chess skills.”

The time commitment for each club at Latin varies depending on the club’s purpose, but the majority of clubs do not have a mandatory time commitment. After all, clubs are meant to aid students in exploring their interest and experience the challenges of leadership within the Latin community.

“There is nothing better than letting kids try things out. Sometimes things don’t work out so well, and that’s part of leadership,” Mr. Cronister said.