New clubs for 2016-2017 school year

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Kaitlin Hsu

Alice Wu (’16) and Kevina Xiao (’16) prepare for the 2015 club fair. Both new and returning clubs will be allowed to present at the 2016-2017 club fair.

by Katherine Zhang, Reporter

As the 2015-2016 school year draws to a close, students have begun applying to start new clubs for next year. Those who are proposing ideas for new student organizations must fill out the club starter form and elaborate on their ideas. Here are some prospective clubs for next year!

Dream and Guided Meditation Club

World History and World Religions teacher Dr. Ruth Meyer was inspired to start a Dream and Guided Meditation Club because of her students’ interest in the topic as well as her own experience in learning about dreams and the subconscious.

“I wanted to start this club to help students at Harker understand their dreams and learn different techniques of meditation,” Meyer said. “When you’re in a dream state, ideas come to you from the subconscious. We don’t discuss this in class, but to me, when you can understand your dreams, it’s the key to understanding your life.”

During club meetings, students will engage in different activities to help them learn more about their dreams. Dr. Meyer drew inspiration for these activities from her own work with dreams and meditation.

“I’m interested in meditation, which presents us with an opportunity to clarify our assumptions and expand our worldview,” prospective club member Soham Khan (11) said. “Dr. Meyer will be directing guided meditation techniques, and we’ll have the opportunity to create our own guided meditation. In addition, we’ll discuss our dreams, maintain a dream journal and even try some lucid dreaming.”

Many of Dr. Meyer’s World History and World Religions students have expressed their interest in the formation of such a club.

“My parents introduced me to the concept of meditation at a very young age and it has always intrigued me,” Aryana Far (9) said. “Plus, I’ve always wanted to dig deep into the true meaning of my dreams, and I think it’ll help me become more in touch with my subconscious thoughts.”

The club plans to invite guest speakers and participate in the Club Fair in order to encourage participation.

Animal Welfare Club

Freshmen Claire Newman and Anusha Kuppahally have always been interested in raising awareness about animal abuse in factory farming, so they decided to start a club dedicated to this cause.

“I know Harker has a huge amount of vegetarian students or students who are simply concerned with the treatment of animals,” Claire, who is vegan, said. “The idea of the club is to raise awareness about [animal abuse] and work against the unfair treatment of animals in factory farming. ”

During club meetings, Claire and Anusha plan to initiate discussions about animal abuse and fundraise for organizations that fight the unfair treatment of animals.

“We want to educate people about animal cruelty and to raise money for organizations that help decrease animal abuse in factory farming,” Anusha said. “During meetings we will show videos about what happens in factories and show ways that we can make money to donate to stop this abuse. For example, we plan to hold a bake sale with cruelty-free ingredients.”

World History teacher Andrea Milius has agreed to advise the club because of her own views on animal abuse.

“We want to educate our community about how we get food and how animals are treated,” Milius said.

The Animal Welfare Club hopes to collaborate with organizations that raise awareness about animal abuse, such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).