Although the semester is coming to a close, there is still a wide variety of options for students looking to get involved. I’ve been a member of many clubs since my freshman year, and from personal experience, being involved is one of the most rewarding parts of high school: however, it can be hard to decide which clubs to join. Each month I write an Activity Spotlight to give you the information necessary for you to decide how to spend your time outside of school. The October Activity Spotlight highlighted Gator Buddies, which is hosting a basketball game on December 7th, and Speech Team, which has continued to practice and compete. If you want to learn more about either of these clubs, check out that article and contact the listed sponsors for more information. In November, I chose two more clubs to shed some more light on, and this is what I found.

For students who are interested in global affairs, diplomacy, or are looking for ways to practice public speaking, research, and problem solving: Model United Nations might be the right fit for you. This club is on the smaller side because it is new to South this year, and it is open to new members year-round. Model United Nations is exactly what it sounds like: a model of the United Nations. For those unfamiliar with this; the United Nations (UN) is the largest group of nations in the world, with over 196 member nations. The UN holds summits to tackle humanitarian, economic, and environmental issues as well as any other issues that affect the global community. Each country sends representatives to these summits, and the representatives come up with the best possible solutions to these global problems. Model United Nations (MUN) aims to emulate that process of discussion and resolution. Each participant in a simulation is assigned a country, researches about the relationship between their country and the given topic, and takes the position of their country during the simulation. Students then come up with resolutions to the issue. For example, some simulation topics have been poverty alleviation, drug trafficking, and the state sponsorship of terrorism. All simulations are held after school until 5 in Mr. Orgler’s room (C40). If you’re interested in participating in one of these simulations, email Mr. Orgler ([email protected]) to get involved.

Along with Model United Nations, Key Club is an extracurricular activity that students at South have the opportunity to join. Key Club is a service organization, and its members participate in various volunteer projects aimed at bettering the community. Key Club is the high school branch of Kiwanis, a service organization dedicated to children’s issues: one of their projects is the Little Libraries, placed all over Crystal Lake for kids to borrow books from for free. If you’re interested in volunteering at events like the NISRA Holiday Fashion Show, the Santa Run in downtown Crystal Lake, or if you would like to participate in smaller club events like making bookmarks for the Kiwanis Little Libraries, then Key Club might be a good fit for you. By participating in these volunteer activities, Key Club members get the opportunity to make connections and have fun. The only requirements to be a member of Key Club are a small fee paid at the beginning of the year and 10 volunteer hours each semester. Meetings are held after school until about 3:30 in Mrs. Memeti’s room (B6). If you’re interested in this extracurricular, contact Mrs. Memeti ([email protected]) for more information. 

Both Model United Nations and Key Club are activities that students enjoy, and are great options for anyone looking to get more involved. I hope that this spotlight has given you more insight into what these clubs are all about. Though great options, these clubs are just two of the many extracurriculars available to students at South: so, if you’re looking for more options, check out the CLS Student Hub Canvas page for a list of all available activities, or watch out for the next activity spotlight.