It’s cold. It’s early. It’s additional, voluntary learning. But every Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. sharp, roughly 20 students gather around Mrs. Shelly Mau’s science classroom for science club.
The dedication, drive, and determination of the science club members is something to be remarked on. Senior president Grayce Hueske has been a science club member for three years, and has no intentions of quitting.
“I think it is just a great way to better our school and the community,” Hueske said. The club takes on lots of activities, volunteering, and field trips. Some of the popular activities they have done include glass blowing at Hastings College, volunteering at the Groundwater Festival, planting trees, touring museums, and a fun trip to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo at the end of the year to reward their hard work.
“I want my students to not feel like we are forcing science on them. Science is around them 24/7, so this is a great way to learn more about it in a fun way,” Mau said.
During your high school years, it is extremely easy to feel like you don’t belong. At Hastings High, many staff members have worked hard to make sure that every student’s piece fits perfectly. This can mean not receiving pay for putting in countless hours sponsoring a club or activity.
Like Mau, Spanish teacher Jean Davis has a love for engaging students in and out of the classroom. This lead to her sponsorship of Multicultural Club.
A common misconception of Multicultural Club is that it is only for a certain culture. “The main thing I want to say is that the club is open to anyone. Anyone can join,” Davis said.
In this club, students dive into the world of higher education, which means several trips to colleges and universities around Nebraska. Multicultural Club also does lots of volunteer work, including making valentines for Mary Lanning Hospital patients.
They meet on Thursday afternoons right after school in the cafeteria.
Like science club, Multicultural Club likes to end the year with a bang. The end of the year field trip varies each year, but last school year, the club went to Kearney for lazer tag and a tour of the Museum of Nebraska Art.
While both science club and Multicultural Club meet outside of school, the Hastings High Debate team offers a class for the members.
Delta Fajardo is the coach, and she is in her 13th year of coaching. Her responsibilities as coach include taking the team to tournaments, supervising the students, guiding and counseling at tournaments, and most importantly, giving her students an idea of what it would be like to obtain a career in the world of law and criminal justice.
“If there is anyone who is considering joining the debate team, I would tell them that they will be utterly confused about what they are doing, until after they go to their first tournament. And it’s not surprising to think about quitting, but I also tell them every single one of us had to learn something entirely new, and once you recognize it, you’ll get it eventually,” Fajardo said.
Fajardo says that she cares more about her team learning something than winning, so there is a place for the competitive and noncompetitive students on the team.
Just like any high school, athletics tend to receive the most attention, and the extracurriculars and clubs sometimes get overlooked. The most important thing to keep in mind is to jump out of that comfort zone, because what is currently uncomfortable just might end up being comforting.
