Students seeking to learn more about Latino culture and history may do so this year at CKHS’ Latino Student Union (LSU). According to Arianna Zendejas, LSU’s Vice President, the club aims to provide a space for underrepresented Latino students to find community. 

“We just want to reach out and let people know that they’re not alone at this school. We’ve been going to middle and elementary schools, talking to the kids there. We want to let people know that we’re here,” said Zendejas. 

The LSU is advised by Wendy Kassler and gathers every Friday after school from 3-5 p.m. in Room 2209. Club members can expect guest speaking events and monthly cooking opportunities in addition to the weekly meetings. 

Student musicians at CKHS can join together after school to participate in a variety of activities for the Instru-Mentoring Club, including sight-reading, playing instruments, playing music-focused games, and discussing technique. Instru-Mentoring members have the opportunity to meet with younger students from surrounding middle schools and share music, experiences, and tips. 

Hailey Vaught, President of the Instru-Mentoring Club, attests that one of the best aspects of the club is meeting like-minded students with an interest in music. 

“I look forward to hanging out with fellow musicians. That’s probably my favorite part about the club, just cause it’s so much fun. It’s not a stressful club at all, it’s very flexible and you can attend whenever you want,” said Vaught. 

The Instru-Mentoring Club meets on select days after school in Chris Kassler’s room. 

HOSA is an international career and technical student organization open to all CKHS students who envision a future healthcare related career. 

“We help educate students and promote their future health care aspirations through things like labs, competitions, and other preparedness activities,” said club member Natalie Story. “We do blood and medicine drives with service being a big aspect in this club. We got a lot of new equipment like a stitching lab, forensics lab. We may even have the opportunity to learn how to take blood pressure and use an IV.”

HOSA meets Tuesdays from 2:35-3:30 p.m. in Katie Staker’s room.

The Gender Sexuality Awareness Club (GSA) is a social, advocacy, and education club welcoming all queer students and allies. Zee Gemmer, President of the GSA Club, avows that GSA provides more than just community within CKHS. A major focus for GSA is supporting and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and representation within the Central Kitsap school district. 

“We will speak up on behalf of queer students at CK and all around the community. We’ve done a lot of stuff not only at CK, but also in all of Kitsap,” said Gemmer. “That’s kind of what GSA is here for – to not only create a welcoming place for queer students and allies that seek aid, but also to speak up and create a place for students who wish to speak up but don’t know how to.” 

The Gender and Sexuality Awareness Club meets after school every Tuesday from 2:45-3:30 p.m. in Room 2209, and is advised by Wendy Kassler. 

According to Alex Calkin, a member of CKHS’ Swing Dancing Club, “if a song has a beat, you can swing dance to it,”. Members of the Swing Dancing Club meet after school at 3:00 p.m. to celebrate, practice, and learn country swing dancing together. 

“The idea is there’s lots of different moves. We have a list of stuff that we can do, and the idea is that you’re continually holding hands with your partner as you swing,” said Calkin. 

Students interested in French culture, traditions, and cuisine can look no further than CKHS’ French Culture Club. The French Culture Club, advised by Ms. Lee, meets after school in Room 3306 to discuss a variety of topics centered around French history. Experience with the French language is not necessary. 

“When we do our meetings, each one of our board members will choose a topic that they’re interested in, and we talk about holidays and culture and food– just different pieces of information that are integral in France,” said Aspen Willis, Secretary of the French Culture Club. 

“We don’t only talk about France, we talk about other Francophone countries, and we also eat lots of snacks.” 

The Distributive Education Clubs of America, more commonly referred to as DECA, functions as an organization that prepares students for career readiness in the business and marketing fields. DECA invites students to attend statewide and national conferences and contests. Annika Pexton, Vice President of DECA, had the opportunity to participate in college conferences, state, and international contests last year, and is shooting to improve and place internationally this school year. 

“There’s many different types of competitions. There are competitions that you can prepare for beforehand, like written events, posters, and presentations, and then there’s some that you do on the spot. They’re called role plays, where you’re given a packet of information and have 10 minutes to come up with a solution that will be presented to a judge,” said Pexton. 

DECA meets before school hours at 7:20 a.m. in Room 1020. The club’s first meeting of the year will take place on Sept. 19. 

The National Honor Society is a community service club that requires a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4 and sophomore status or higher to be inducted. The club focuses on scholarships, leadership, service, and character.

“We’re hoping to get a whole bunch of new members,” NHS member Jackson Moyer explains. “I think it’s super exciting to grow and expand what we can do for both Central Kitsap High School and the greater Kitsap community.”

The NHS meets every other Wednesday morning in Paul Birkenfeld’s room and during the afternoon in the orchestra room.

This article is part of The Cougar Chronicle’s “Back to School” collection.