Lawrence High School is known for having a massive selection of clubs available, from Pokemon Club to Badminton Club, there is something for everyone.
Junior Lola Brown is co-president of Lawrence High’s Key Club, an international, student-led organization that gives students opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership. They have participated in cleanups and district conventions in the past and plan to do more with the club this year.
Prior to January of last year, there wasn’t a Key Club at Lawrence High School.
“I initially started Key Club because Free State has a key club, so I wanted to start one because we didn’t have one, ” Brown said. “I reached out over the summer a couple years ago to Free State to try and start the process of starting Key Club at LHS.”
Another new club available this year is Dinosaur Club.
“I’ve liked dinosaurs since I was probably 10. I found them really interesting, so I kinda wanted to start a club,” Freshman Max Brown, the club’s co-president said.
Ruben Markstrom, the club’s sponsor, said that “Dinosaur club is a group of students that are interested in Dinosaurs and maybe pursuing a career in paleontology.” Markstrom also said that Brown’s original goal was to “find people that had similar interests to him and be able to socialize and talk about stuff he really enjoys.”
The club has plans and ideas for many different projects and activities this year, starting with participating in the homecoming parade, and even creating a cardboard pterodactyl. Other activities include playing dinosaur games and field trips to the Watkins National History Museum to see dinosaur exhibits.
“We also had a few teachers from the science department reach out to us as well because they have a lot of background and interest in paleontology, so we’ve been communicating with them and we’ve got a few guest speakers that we’re going to have come and talk with our group,” Markstrom said.
Similarly, an new club available this year is Line Dancing Club. Line Dancing Club is a club that strives to learn and teach line dances for when you go to school dances or just for fun. Junior and Club Co-President Anna Gordon-Ross said that she came up with the idea with her friends.
“My friend group at lunch. We just kind of thought about it and we were like, Wait, that actually sounds pretty fun. And then we actually went through with it,” Gordon-Ross said.
The club plans to learn dances like ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ and ‘Footloose’ so when those songs are played at school dances, students know the footwork.
Clubs like these get students more involved in the school community and help everyone find a place. Sometimes students feel as if they don’t have a place within the already established activities and sports, so allowing students to start their own clubs with help of a sponsor gives them a place at Lawrence High.
“We plan to embody the values [of Key Club] by involving ourselves in the School Community and making it a more welcoming place for everyone,” Brown said.
