By Elizabeth Sanders

Staff Writer

    What do you do when there is no club that concerns a passion of yours? You start your own. That’s exactly how the following ten new clubs–eight student run and two teacher led–clubs came to be. Created just this 2025-2026 school year, these clubs meet during club homeroom, after school, or both. They explore topics that range from meteorology to mindfulness, karate to culture, animals to the army, environmentalism, fashion, and much, much more.

ReLeaf Initiative

     ReLeaf Initiative is a service club founded by sophomores Maddie Plonk and Amelia Reynolds, who want to help the city’s homeless population in an eco-friendly manner. In these early stages, they’re focusing on service at local homeless shelters with the intention of building up to their environmentalist ideal.

    “We’re going to gradually incorporate recycling, and reduce food waste by taking leftovers from restaurants and bringing it to the shelters or secondhand clothing drives to reduce waste from the fashion industry,” Plonk said.

     Members have already gotten service hours from volunteering at the Bethesda Center for the Homeless.

     “The guy that runs it [Bethesda Center] really needed help cleaning out this storage basement,” Plonk said. “So we got a group of 20 of us to go down there and volunteer and help with that for a couple of hours, and it was really great, just to see the shelter, what their mission is, and what we can do to help.”

     They hope to continue this partnership with the Bethesda Center by joining efforts to fundraise for the reopening of Bethesda’s day shelter, a room where those without homes can spend time off the streets, and to form relationships with other organizations that share Bethesda’s purpose. 

Follow their Instagram: @releafinitiative

Paws With Purpose

     Paws With Purpose is a club for all animal lovers who want to help our furry friends. Sophomores Gianna Cerran and Charley Einstein, inspired by their own pets and their experience volunteering regularly at the Humane Society, created this club to help any animal in need.    

    “We’ve been in contact with AARF, which is an organization that helps out with animals who have been misplaced or need extra help,” Ceran said. “We already have contact with the Humane Society, and there’s this local animal shelter downtown that we’re also planning on partnering with to help out with their animals and their staff.”

Follow their Instagram: @pawswithpurposerjr

Creek Club 

     Creek Club, in association with Environmental Club, centers around service opportunities that help keep Forsyth County waterways clean by participating in efforts to clear them of trash and other detriments. One of the events they plan on volunteering at is Creek Week, held in March.

    “The Idea of Creek Week is this week dedicated to Creek health and cleanups,” Bea Clarke, Co-President said. “It’s a state wide, nationwide event but the organization we hope to partner with works in Winston-Salem specifically.” 

    The club, which meets during club homerooms in Room 313, also wants to make posters and art with the intent of bringing awareness to pollution. 

Join their Remind: @creekclub

Follow their Instagram: @rjr_creekclub

Meteorology Club

    Want to know the science behind the hit movie Twister? Meteorology Club, founded by sophomore Nathaniel Horton, assigns members weekly research topics related to natural phenomenon. 

     “I give them a presentation about a different topic every week, and they research that topic,” Horton said. They’re allowed to do YouTube, research papers, and articles as long as it’s credible. At the last 10 minutes, we’ll get back together, talk about what we learned, and then the rest of the week until the next Monday, they all research the topics independently.” 

    Topics can be any meteorological phenomenon, but will likely be extreme weather events. 

    “The most recent topic was Volcanic Winter,” Horton said. “We talked about events where Volcanic Winter happened, how it affected people’s statistics, and interesting facts about it.” 

    The club meets on Mondays from 4:00-5:00 pm in Room 314 and is a great place to explore meteorology as a potential career or just learn more about the subject.

Fashion Society

    For the love of fashion, senior Soph Lindenthal formed a club to discuss clothing lines, popular styles, and to create clothing.

    “My Co-President Charlie and my Vice-President Mark, both know how to sew, so they’re going to guide sewing lessons,” Lindenthal said. “We’re also going to do secondhand or repurposing fashion.” 

    Fashion society will be a community-centered club with out-of-school activities and a welcoming attitude toward ideas from members. One member’s idea for club-specific spirit days is already being considered for implementation.

    “We wanted to do a Monster High, Ever After High day, or we all wanted to wear the same color,” Lindenthal said. “Again, just reinforcing that community.”

    The club meets on Wednesdays in Room 211. 

Join their Remind: @7a6kh2

Follow their Instagram: @rjr_fashion.society

RJR Demon Fist! Karate Club

    Karate Kid in real life? Yep. Every Tuesday from 4:00-5:00 pm in Room 211, junior Jude Robinson teaches attendees the style of Sakura Ryu, a branch of an Okinawan style called Goju Ru, which was used in Karate Kid. Robinson has a longstanding passion for karate, and this year, decided to try his hand at teaching.

    “At the beginning and end of every class, we always say that: discipline, honor, and respect, because it’s so integral to karate,” Robinson said. “It’s not about hurting people, it’s about training yourself and giving yourself the right motives to get where you want in life.”

Join their Remind: @demonfist

Follow their Instagram: @rjrkarateclub

Global Connections

    English as a Second Language (ESL) students Maria Tobiye and Rasha Al Rushiadat Abazed started this club for their fellow ESL students, as well as anyone who wants to learn about other countries.

   “You are going to get to know people from all over the world, try new food, new languages, and new cultures, as well as have fun, discuss issues, and try new things,” Al Rushiadat Abazed said. 

    The club meets during club homeroom in Room 16 in the History Building. 

Crochet Coalition

    Crochet Coalition is a space to crochet–no supplies needed, just yourself–in Room 108 every Tuesday until 5:00pm. 

    “It’s for any levels,” Tytianah Meade, Co-President, said. “If you don’t know anything about crochet, we’ll teach you everything. And if you already know how to crochet, you can just bring your own projects.”

Join their Remind @rjrcrochet

Patriot Club 

    Patriot Club, which meets during club homeroom in Room 77, is an opportunity to learn about military recruitment without making a commitment. 

    “I’m a former recruiter, I recruited for 12 total years, and so I’m familiar with the army itself,” Master Sergeant Paul Holmes, the club’s sponsor, said. “My goal was to bring in a Navy, Air Force, and Marine recruiter, so they can come in and they can tell you about their branch, specifically about enlistment options, officer options, and educational opportunities.”

Clarity Club 

    Need a moment of peace and quiet? Stop by Room 101 during club homeroom, where photography teacher Trina Olson will lead mindfulness activities.

    “We will be doing some meditations, some reflecting on our personal lives and on larger topics,” Olson said. “We’ll be doing some art projects that are art therapy related, calming activities, calming music, and it’ll be a nice spot.”