The Bigger Picture: Seattle Academy’s Global Clubs
Being the young student you are, you are probably eager to get out into the world and to explore new cultures. Luckily, you are not alone. More and more students and faculty are bringing the cultures that intrigue them to the curriculum and to the student clubs at Seattle Academy. Read on to learn how they plan to integrate culture into our school, and to discover new ways to make your favorite culture a part of your day right here at SAAS.
Spend a lunch in…
FRANCE
French Club will end your week on a fun note. If you enjoy French food and culture, come to this club to enjoy baguettes, Nutella, and Speculoos (European cookie butter). Expect to hear the occasional French rap song or watch and discuss a French movie. Speaking French is not a requirement to join this club, but it is appreciated. Club co-leader Claire Mason ’13, states that “We want to expose students to bits of French culture such as food, film, and politics.” Connor Boyle ’13 also leads the club, and both leaders are currently taking high levels of French at SAAS. French Club is a small, intimate experience where members can enjoy discussing French culture and politics while dining on French cuisine. If French culture and food speaks to you, come to CUB 3 (Barton’s room) on FRIDAYS AT LUNCH!
SPAIN
If you are intrigued by Spanish food and culture, swing by a Spanish Club meeting! Expect to find examples of top-notch cuisine such as home-made nachos and delicious Mexican food straight from local cultural hot spot, Rancho Bravo. Although the club is led by Spanish speakers Connor Boyle and Julia Cohn ’13, you don’t necessarily have to be at a high level in Spanish in order to enjoy this club. However, some Spanish may be beneficial as the club activities include watching Spanish films and discussing them in Spanish and listening to Spanish classics from artists like Shakira, Daddy Yankee, and as co-leader Julia Cohn states, “everything you might hear in the Barrio.” When speaking about the goal of the club’s cultural integration, she states, “We really want people to start having an immersion into Spanish and Mexican culture.” If you want to explore all that the Spanish culture has to offer, come to ALISON RAY’S ROOM (V3) on MONDAYS AT LUNCH!
ZAMBIA
Come to a Zambia Club meeting and expect to learn how our community is helping students 10,000 miles away in Lusaka, Zambia. Club leader Sam Zieve '13 describes the goal of this cultural club as an effort “to fundraise in order to collect donations which will eventually go to toward the Seattle Academy Zambia Program.” Club activities include bake sales, concession sales, and candy-gram sales, and many of the meetings involve planning for these fundraisers. This club will culturally prepare you to go on the Zambia trip during a summer in the future, so it is a great club to attend if you are considering applying for the trip! If you are intrigued by the Zambia program and you want to be a part of helping students in schools like Birdland School and Munali High School in Zambia, come to DON ZWIERS’S ROOM on THURSDAYS AT LUNCH!
The UN
You will need your best insight and some prepared research if you want to participate in Model UN! Come to one of these meetings with the expectation and the preparation to engage in an invigorating discussion with your peers. In this club, you will represent one of the countries in the United Nations and each week you will research your country’s perspective on the topic or article of the week. Club activities often include reading, debating, and preparing for the large-scale Model UN conference at Seattle University in the spring. The unique factor about this club is that you can choose to research and represent any country and culture that intrigues you. Club leaders Rachel Habib '13 and Jeremy Alben ’13 want to encourage Seattle Academy club members to think about important current events on a global scale. This club requires effort and commitment, so be prepared to contribute if this description is intriguing to you. If you want these globally-minded discussions to be a part of your week, come to ALISON’S ROOM (V3) on THURSDAYS AT LUNCH!