Club Updates
Snack Sales at MHSHS
By: Sofia Pyasta
Recently at MHSHS, snack sales have been a huge part of many students’ lunches and after-school activities. Student-led by the juniors, with the help of Ms. Zakaria, these snacks are being sold for them to be able to afford an overnight senior trip. Selling snacks and drinks every day, they are almost always crowded as soon as lunch starts.
These sales are planned to happen all year, with constant updates on new and different snacks and drinks. As one of the representatives, Anthony Wang, stated, “I heard there was going to be some kind of marshmallow drink; I forgot what the name was,” with Marc Gordon, another representative, adding, “We were also thinking of adding those ramen cups, and gum is a good idea as well.” With them constantly selling, they have to keep people interested. By changing retail, students buying from them may continue to buy more and more. Though it may seem like they are constantly making a lot of money, with many customers and sales daily, it is nowhere near what they may need to pay for their preferred trip. When asked a question about their weekly profits, Anthony stated, “Not much, like $600-700... I don’t think you guys realize how much trips cost, especially overnights.” Marc also stated, “The lowest we’ve figured we could do was probably $20,000." For many of us, $600 or $700 may seem like a lot of money, but when you think about it, getting up to $20,000 or more will take a lot of time and a lot more profit. With the amount that they have to raise and the fact that they started late, this goal, though possible, may be difficult to achieve.
Anthony also ended with, “The weeks go on and the sales are slowing down.” These sales are for their senior trip, with the leftover money also spilling out towards other senior activities. If the sales keep going down, they may not be able to enjoy their senior year as much as they hoped. To support the juniors and their efforts to raise money for their senior trip, go buy yourself some snacks for only a couple of dollars!
Which Club is Right for You?
Written by Sofia Pyasta
There are many fun and intriguing clubs offered at MHSHS, focusing on all kinds of different interests. They range from educational clubs to career-oriented clubs, and clubs where you can just enjoy yourself with friends. This article will be focusing on the Better You Club, as well as the Glamour Gals, but there are many other clubs out there for everyone! The only question is; which club is right for you?
The Better You Club focuses on the mental health of students here at MHSHS. Meeting Wednesdays during Period 4 in room 550, the Better You Club does not have a specific plan for what they do during their meetings. Though the club leaders do usually have something planned for specific days, no one really knows what may happen, and how much someone may be struggling. If this is the case, they prioritize that, since it is what the club is about. As Annie Wang, a junior and one of the club leaders, stated: “The general schedule is really just go with the flow. You never know what’s about to happen and if someone is actually carrying the baggage.” This club is just a safe space to share any thoughts and experiences that one may be going through and struggling with. Sometimes we need support, advice, and maybe even to rant in a place without any judgment, and if that is the case, then this club may benefit you.
The Glamour Gals is a club that focuses on preventing senior isolation and connecting with the people in senior homes. Every second Saturday of the month, members of this club visit a retirement home. In the time that they are there, members connect with the citizens, while also doing their nails and giving makeovers! Not only do you get to do all of these things, but you also earn community service hours for going to the retirement homes as a part of the Glamour Gals. As Emma Lieman, a junior and club leader for the MHSHS chapter of the Glamour Gals says: “Well I personally like making connections with seniors. You just get to talk to them, hear their background, hear their story. You know they have a lot of wisdom to share, so when you converse with them it’s fun! I don’t consider it work, I think it’s genuinely fun.” To that statement, Olivia Haffmans, who is also a junior and club leader, added: “We have a great time. You make a lot of friends there too, so we all just hang out with really cool senior citizens.” The Glamour Gals also offer many other opportunities, besides just community service hours. There are many scholarships that members can apply for, including recommendation letters and awards. This club has it all, from having fun and enjoying yourself, to having many accomplishments for your future.
The clubs at MHSHS have a wide variety of topics and interests. While only focusing on two of these clubs, there are still huge differences between them. With dozens more to choose from and tons of different interests being showcased, there is definitely a club for you at MHSHS.
Hunter Clubs
Written by Elene Dvali
Manhattan Hunter Science High School hosted a club fair on Thursday, October 12, 2023. The fair showcased numerous clubs, ranging from Film Club all the way to Hunter News. Though there were many clubs, this article will touch upon two; the Debate Club and K-Pop Club. The representatives that were advertising for these clubs were, respectively, Mahalil Hayat and Mikayla Mena. Each of them gave their input on what their clubs do and how they function.
The first club is the Debate Club. This after-school club is centered around having fun while gaining argumentative skills. Students learn arguing strategies, how to cite, and how to win. Usually, at the beginning of the class, participants will be given a topic and a side for which they will be debating. Then, time will be allotted for you to do your research and make your argument. Once that time is up, the debating begins. At the end of these debates, the winners will be unbiasedly chosen by Ms. Cordova, the club advisor, and Mahalia. Though you may win some arguments and lose others, the main goal of the Debate Club is for you to have fun and enjoy yourself. This information was collected in an interview with the sophomore club leader, Mahalil Hayat. During the interview, he was asked if there is something particularly interesting that he believes would make people more compelled to join the club. Mahalil’s response was that when you are a part of the Debate Club, you develop real-world skills that will aid you in winning real-life arguments. So, not only is this club fun, but you get to leave with enhanced argumentative prowess that you did not have before. It is beneficial, not just for your dopamine levels, but for future situations you may be put in. As a final note Mahalil Hayat stated, “But it’s also mad fun, like do you not like arguing?”
The second club that will be discussed is the K-Pop Club. They meet every Tuesday at lunch. It is a community––a safe space for like-minded individuals to bond over K-Pop. In this club, members discuss a variety of K-Pop-related topics and freely express their opinions while staying respectful. The club harbors an inclusive environment where nobody is shamed for their likes and dislikes, and instead, they are able to talk and connect. In an interview with one of the eleventh-grader representatives, Mikayla Mena disclosed that one of the big events K-Pop Club is planning to do is participate in the talent show. Members of the club will practice and prepare a dance from a K-Pop music video that they choose themselves, and perform it for the school at the talent show. Mikayla also explained how participating in the talent show would be a good experience since it allows you to dance and socialize with people who enjoy what you like. To elaborate on the topic of dance, this club does a lot of it. In the exact words of Mikayla, “There is a lot of dancing, so if that is a thing that you like, that would be a great thing to join.” What is essentially being said is that dancing is a big part of the K-Pop club, and those who take joy in it would certainly find themselves feeling at home among members of this club.
Both of these clubs are still open to new members, meaning if you are interested in joining one or both, you are in luck! Although only two clubs were covered, all of the clubs at the fair deserve recognition for the hard work and effort that were put in to make them possible.
Written by Elene Dvali
Manhattan Hunter Science High School hosted a club fair on Thursday, October 12, 2023. The fair showcased numerous clubs, ranging from Film Club all the way to Hunter News. Though there were many clubs, this article will touch upon two; the Debate Club and the K-Pop Club. The representatives that were advertising for these clubs were, respectively, Mahalil Hayat and Mikayla Mena. Each of them gave their input on what their clubs do and how they function.
The first club is the Debate Club. This after-school club is centered around having fun while gaining argumentative skills. Students learn arguing strategies, how to cite, and how to win. Usually, at the beginning of the class, participants will be given a topic and a side for which they will be debating. Then, time will be allotted for you to do your research and make your argument. Once that time is up, the debating begins. At the end of these debates, the winners will be unbiasedly chosen by Ms. Cordova, the club advisor, and Mahalil. Though you may win some arguments and lose others, the main goal of the Debate Club is for you to have fun and enjoy yourself. This information was collected in an interview with the sophomore club leader, Mahalil Hayat. During the interview, he was asked if there is something particularly interesting that he believes would make people more compelled to join the club. Mahalil’s response was that when you are a part of the Debate Club, you develop real-world skills that will aid you in winning real-life arguments. So, not only is this club fun, but you get to leave with enhanced argumentative prowess that you did not have before. It is beneficial, not just for your dopamine levels, but for future situations you may be put in. As a final note Mahalil Hayat stated, “But it’s also mad fun, like do you not like arguing?”
The second club that will be discussed is the K-Pop Club. They meet every Tuesday at lunch. It is a community––a safe space for like-minded individuals to bond over K-Pop. In this club, members discuss a variety of K-Pop-related topics and freely express their opinions while staying respectful. The club harbors an inclusive environment where nobody is shamed for their likes and dislikes, and instead, they are able to talk and connect. In an interview with one of the eleventh-grader representatives, Mikayla Mena disclosed that one of the big events K-Pop Club is planning to do is participate in the talent show. Members of the club will practice and prepare a dance from a K-Pop music video that they choose themselves, and perform it for the school at the talent show. Mikayla also explained how participating in the talent show would be a good experience since it allows you to dance and socialize with people who enjoy what you like. To elaborate on the topic of dance, this club does a lot of it. In the exact words of Mikayla, “There is a lot of dancing, so if that is a thing that you like, that would be a great thing to join.” What is essentially being said is that dancing is a big part of the K-Pop club, and those who take joy in it would certainly find themselves feeling at home among members of this club.
Both of these clubs are still open to new members, meaning if you are interested in joining one or both, you are in luck! Although only two clubs were covered, all of the clubs at the fair deserve recognition for the hard work and effort that were put in to make them possible.
Club Updates
Well Needed: Volleyball Club
By: Seif Eldawaity
Sports are an integral part of any high school community, and they can act as a bonding opportunity for students, encourage teamwork and communication skills, promote athleticism, and much more. As you may know, Martin Luther King, Jr. Educational Campus and Manhattan Hunter Science High School have a variety of clubs, sports programs, and teams. All of which run on pure interest and engagement from the students. These clubs and programs can range from arts and crafts to a youth soccer program held every Sunday. So, why not have one for volleyball?
From my experience, when I go outside during lunch, I usually see a multitude of volleyball circles that form, ranging anywhere from 5 to 12 people per circle. Occasionally, I will also see people playing volleyball in the mornings or after school on the terrace. The diversity in skill of the people playing volleyball outside can range from complete beginners to players at a competitive level. I play volleyball and immensely enjoy the sport. A volleyball club would be the perfect opportunity for people to play volleyball recreationally and stay active while developing and practicing many important volleyball skills. The club can hold scrimmages, which help people improve their skills and understanding of the sport. The club can be a co-ed where anybody and everybody can practice and play together. I recognize a handful of students, possibly including myself, who would even be interested in helping run the club.
I asked Kaspar Clay-Youman, a sophomore at Manhattan Hunter Science High School and a player on the MLK boy's volleyball team, what he thought about having a volleyball club on campus. He said, “I think that having a volleyball club would truly be an improvement for MHSHS. People are already playing in circles at lunch and before and after school, so why not have a designated place for people to play?” I also asked Alexander Diaz-LaPens, a student at MHSHS who also plays for the boy's volleyball team, what he thought about having a volleyball club on campus. He states, “I see the need for it, but I worry about there not being enough court space for the sports we already have.” Both students recognize the need for a volleyball club; however, Alexander brings up a valid point. How would the club find court space and arrange meetings and games with the sports that we already have on campus? Well, the club doesn't strictly have to take place on campus, and with the small gym soon to be open again, that leaves two courts on campus that could potentially be open for use. A good example would be to operate similarly to the “Just Ball” soccer program run by Mr. Kimani on Sundays. However, another issue that may arise may be funding and finding a staff member to sponsor the club. Volleyballs aren't cheap, and that would mean multiple people would have to step in and fund the club, or people could bring their volleyballs. I, for one, would be more than happy to help fund the club or bring my volleyball. Since time may be an issue, practices or scrimmages can be held at least once a week or every other week, and attendance would not be strict.
Even though there may be issues in getting the club operating normally at first, with issues such as funding and finding time and court space, I believe that a volleyball club would be a great improvement for MHSHS and/or the entire campus. I strongly believe that our school should have a volleyball club due to the large amount of interest in the sport seen throughout the school and the opportunity that the club will bring.
A Science Club
By: Gavin Li
As the club fair ended, one club was missing from the various clubs that structure our community. It was a science club. Since our school is based upon being an early-college science high school, we should have more clubs that work with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). This would provide a sanctuary for those interested in these topics.
One of the things we would be able to do in a science club is create a science olympiad team. A science olympiad is a competition where 23 events -all related to different fields of science- are held. Only 15 members are allowed at each tournament, with different roles assigned to each participant. The team costs for this activity are pretty low with only $125-$300 needed per team. The competitions are held depending on the skill level of the teams. A team that does well in regional competitions will advance to states and eventually nationals.
Bringing out a team of 15 to different places to compete can enrich our sense of community because it involves cooperation, teamwork, and spirit. Since we spend most of our time in school learning, we rarely have enough time to connect through interests. Utilizing the time in science competitions is a great way for science-interested students to bond with each other. All of the clubs that we have at Manhattan Hunter Science also require teamwork and cooperation but do not have competitions where students work with each other. This can be the first club developed to establish a closer relationship between those intrigued by science.
Key Club: Key to A Better World
By: Gavin Li
The Key Club is one of Manhattan Hunter’s biggest clubs. But what is it, and more specifically, why is it named the “Key” Club? The Key Club is an international non-profit organization for high school students that aims to serve others in order to make the world a better place.
It was established in 1925 in Sacramento, California, by Albert C. Olney and Frank C. Vincent. They both were high school administrators who served as members of the Kiwanis Club. The Kiwanis Club is also a non-profit organization that works towards helping children thrive. Albert and Frank wanted a club for high schoolers that embodied the same motives as the Kiwanis Club. So they started a club where, initially, only boys were allowed to join.
Now referring back to our question, why is the Key Club called the Key Club? This is because only “key” students, or boys, who played an integral part of the school were allowed to join. However, 52 years later, females were allowed to join. Over the years, this club’s popularity skyrocketed and it has become one of the largest programs for high school students. Nowadays, they host many events where people can volunteer and fundraise. Some of these volunteering and fundraising events include food pantries, social injustice, and other fun activities. These tasks can build strong leadership roles and build character in students. The skills will benefit the future of pupils who are still figuring out their roles in the world.
Thus, thanks to both Albert C. Olney and Frank C. Vincent, we now have a wide-reaching, international community that has the potential to change the world while simultaneously helping students gain leadership roles.
What Can We Do
By: Selim Albakry
What We Can DoAs another month goes by at MHSHS, there is a new topic to be discussed. In this publication, we will present issues that students wish to solve both in the academic and physical aspects of our school and overall community. Starting with a peer who wished to stay anonymous, he states “I feel like it would be beneficial for the school if there were more dress-down days or more opportunities to not be in uniform”. When he was asked to further explain he said that “it would make the students body much happier as well as the overall morale of the community. It will give us more opportunities to unify and build meaningful relationships with each other”. As you can see from the interview, this student is quite passionate about the idea of more dress-down opportunities. But when interviewed about other aspects the school may benefit from improving he stated that “there's nothing else that I can think of that we’re lacking in. Overall, the students as well as faculty have been doing a great job!” This would not be the same for the other students who also wished to remain anonymous. She has much stronger feelings on the topic of school improvement and her ideas go much further than just a lack of dress-down days. This student implores that “teachers could go a little easier on lateness” and that “detention is too much for just 3 latenesses”. She elaborates on this saying that “teachers should give more extra credit opportunities and our way we can just improve our grades in general. Overall, we can see from both of these interviews that there are things that we can do as well as others in our school community to advance the academic and social qualities of MHSHS.
Clubs ThatWill Boost Your Knowledge (And Amount) Of Chemicals
By: Gavin Li
I noticed a few new clubs as I strolled through the club fair hosted on March 12th. One science-related club, the chemistry club, was a popular pick. The gym club is another club that was recently introduced. But what are the benefits of having these clubs in Manhattan Hunter Science? The chemistry club would enlighten students about the field that discusses chemicals and their application in life. As most clubs are based heavily on humanities and arts, the chemistry club can provide a community of STEM-dedicated students. The chemistry club will be in Room 572, hosted by Mr. Jewram and juniors Leves Tariq and Raka Sarker. The flyer stated a few activities that will occur after the club starts, following the club’s interest meeting on March 27th. Some events include after-school labs, internship opportunities, and guests who will speak about their experiences in their chemistry-related careers. Moving on to gym club that will be located in the weight room, led by the physical education instructor, Mr. O'connor and sophomore Makar Vasileuski. Most students do not know about the weight room, so this will be an excellent opportunity to explore and exercise. This club will be held in the morning from 7:30-8:00, allowing students to get some exercise before class. Studies have shown that exercising boosts amounts of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, which are chemicals that contribute to a person’s happiness, relief of stress, and motivation. These three effects of exercising are fundamental to a student’s well-being. Principal Froner has been stressing (no pun intended) the importance of physical and mental health in students. He has already implemented daily activities in the school, such as daily quotes and breathing exercises. The creation of a gym club will be a great addition to Principal Froner’s long-term goal. Without a doubt, the chemistry club and the gym club will be able to foster groups of students interested in chemistry or exercising. But thinking into the future, what other clubs should be made?
How do some teachers make studying easier for students?
By Sofia Pyasta
Most students constantly have tests, quizzes, and big assignments, sometimes even multiple in the same week or even day. Figuring out how to study or what exactly to study may be hard for some students, especially for those who are freshmans and may not have had enough time to master the skills needed to manage a heavy workload. But how do some teachers try to help their students with these things? Do any of the things they offer actually help students? What do most students feel like is the best material they are given to help with preparation?
Every teacher has their own approach to this across different classes. From study guides, to related assignments, and even to a handout with all of the topics listed that will need to be learned for the test. When it comes to Global 9, students are given many different materials that they can use, the biggest one being a study guide handout. It goes over everything that was taught in the weeks prior, with questions so that students can test their knowledge. Out of all of the classes, the majority of freshmen students say that this approach was the most helpful for them. One student stated, “Over time, especially with the things that we learned at the beginning of the unit, I sometimes forget some of it, but with the study guides, we go over all of it and get to correct ourselves in class when discussing it, with really helps me remember everything for the day of the test, even the stuff from the beginning that I barely even remember the lessons for.”
Another material that was highly appreciated by the students were the Juno assignments given in English 9 for vocabulary tests. There are four different sections to the Juno assignments, covering most of the topics on the quiz and going over the entire list of words about three times in total. An anonymous student stated, “I feel like the Junos really help me understand which words I know and which ones I’m still struggling on, so that I can then focus on those ones more before the test, especially since with Juno I can redo questions and take multiple tries, which also makes me think about why it would be that word instead of the other one and figuring out the differences between them, especially with similar words.” Many students said that they used Juno as their main study method when it came to vocabulary, and that they found it more helpful than just using flashcards. After studying, many would use the Juno to go over what they remembered and figure out the context of the word, especially if they didn’t understand the definition provided that well.
Although many materials given by teachers are great with helping students, there are also some materials that, while not bad, many don’t notice themselves reaching for or utilizing as much. These mainly include things like slideshows from class that include the entire unit. Many students mentioned that they find these kinds of slideshows can sometimes be helpful for some of the notes that they might have missed, or that they didn't have enough time to copy, but do not reach for these slideshows as a main study method. Some found the length that some of the slideshows can be and the amount of information all packed into one thing overwhelming, which ultimately, when studying for a test, not open them. A lot of students also noted that sometimes, it feels like they are not given a lot of time to study for these tests, with them sometimes still learning topics that are going to be on the test the day before, which they agree should mostly be used for studying, especially since they would have the opportunity to ask questions about some topics that they may be confused on.
Overall, there are many different things that teachers provide to students when it comes to preparing for a test. While some methods may be found extremely helpful by some students, others may not feel the same way, and the same goes for methods that some find not useful, because, in the end, everyone is different. The main thing that was seen throughout the interviews is that all of the methods given were found helpful by at least one student, which really illustrates the importance of variety when it comes to providing materials for students for studying. Different things work for everyone, and having that variety in every classroom to make it more inclusive and be able to support every student is crucial.
April 8th, 2024 Solar Eclipse
By Mahira khan
This school year has been such a nice year and the solar eclipse was pretty unexpected. The last solar eclipse was in 2017 and it hasn’t even been so long since then compared to this year's solar eclipse, because the next solar eclipse is expected to happen in 2044. A solar eclipse is when the moon passes in front of the sun, casting a shadow on Earth.
There were a lot of students who signed up to see the solar eclipse but I think it would’ve been more fun if the number of spots for the trip was unlimited so more people would’ve been able to sign up. It took a long time for the eclipse to reach its peak and the moon was getting closer to the sun very gradually which made it take even longer. Once it had reached its peak, the sky turned into a dusk-dawn color and it suddenly turned cloudy. When the sun was gone for a while, it felt cold and then the moon passed the sun. After a few minutes, it got a little warmer. Anyone who hasn’t ever experienced an eclipse should see the next one which is expected to happen in the year 2044.
I enjoyed watching the eclipse as it was the very first one I’ve ever experienced. But its experience was best when it reached its peak since that is when the huge difference can be seen in the sky. Overall, this was such a wonderful experience and very fun to watch.