By now, when entering high school most people should have a basic understanding of what they want to do in the future and what secondary education they want to get after high school. Colleges and universities have different requirements and skill levels, so it’s important for students to consider their capabilities and what school is best for them. This can be figured out using a multitude of factors from GPA, SAT/ACT, personality, and extracurricular activities. Speaking of, extracurriculars are considered by many as very important, if not one of the most important aspects of one’s transcript when applying for universities. Extracurriculars are basically clubs or various activities that one can participate in outside of school hours. There are a variety of things considered to be “Extracurricular Activities” that MHS has to offer and they can be broken down into two categories: athletic and non-athletic. This is the second part of this two-part article and will be covering non-athletics.

To start, below are some clubs that can be considered here at MHS.

• Art Club 
• Book Club 
• Environmental Club 
• Hoofprints Newspaper 
• Jazz Band

Now, moving on to additional clubs:

• AV Club or audiovisual club is a club meant for students to develop knowledge and be able to use equipment like actual film, film projectors, audio fidelity, and newfangled speakers.
• Class Advisors; Class Advising is a club/position that students can request and sign up for and when accepted, students will basically act as representatives for their class and will participate in similar affairs to the student council. As such, event planning/coordination as well as spirit-related activities are to be encouraged and promoted by members.
• Student Council although similar to Class Advisory is a little different, instead of directing and managing events on a class scale like CA, SC is a student government organization that helps build the school community with such events as Class Competitions, Homecoming, and the annual Powder Puff Game which are considerably more prominent and more school-wide events than class retained.
• Concert Band, as the name suggests, joining the club would assume one has proficiency in an instrument. Students will be responsible for playing music during Winter and Spring concerts in front of a large audience. All meetings will likely be practice for those concerts and/or other school occasions.
• Digital Media Club. Their mission statement states that, “The MHS Digital Media Club was created with the intent to provide students an opportunity to explore their creativity in digital media including; videography, photography, graphic design and more.”
• Drama Club: This club gives students a chance to understand aspects of the theater and performing world. Every year, the Drama Club creates a Play based on a popular show (for example 2022 was Grease) and the whole club essentially revolves around that play. These plays usually end up being a success and students who have taken DC express their gratitude for the opportunity given to them to perform.
• FBLA  (Future Business Leaders of America Club), is dedicated to preparing students for careers in business. In FBLA, students prepare for careers in business through academic competitions, leadership development, and educational programs. Overall, it provides really good opportunities to learn valuable experiences for business.
• GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance or Genders and Sexualities Alliance depending on who you ask): This club is a predominantly student-run organization that is in place to promote a safe environment for students who identify in the LGBTQ+ scope. This club is also a good way for students to discuss sensitive topics like gender insecurity and identity.
• International Club: This club is meant to promote and support cultural diversity and is dedicated to preserving, sharing, and understanding cultural relationships around the world. If a student feels they are from a country that has an interesting culture, feel free to join the club and share their cultural heritage.
• Marching Band is another unique option in relation to Drama Club. Marching Band is divided into 3 groups, Wind, Percussion, and Color Guard. They all play a key role in the Marching Band and each is really interesting in their own respective ways. Marching Band will require students to perform in front of audiences as well as occasionally be mobile from school to school from time to time. Marching Band is also constantly looking for new members so if students are willing to give it a chance, it could be a real eye-opener.
• The National Honor Society is up next and it’s a big one! Membership in the National Honor Society is one of the highest honors that can be awarded to a high school student. NHS emphasizes the importance of community service which is the main focus of the club. This is one of the only clubs that has set restrictions on whether students can join it or not. Here are the required prerequisites:
  • Scholarship
    • Per national guidelines, at a minimum, students must have a cumulative GPA of 85, B, 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or an equivalent standard of excellence. (Each school chapter is allowed to require a higher cumulative GPA.)
  • Service
    • This involves voluntary contributions made by a student to the school or community, done without compensation.
  • Leadership
    • Student leaders are those who are resourceful, good problem solvers, and idea contributors. Leadership experiences can be drawn from school or community activities while working with or for others.
  • Character
    • The student of good character is cooperative; demonstrates high standards of honesty and reliability; shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others; and generally maintains a clean disciplinary record.
• Speech and Debate termed together is called “Forensics” for instance. The speech aspect is mostly about learning how to enhance one’s public speaking skills by practicing techniques like improv speaking. The debate part is mostly focused on a political spectrum that has students pinned against each other or together to defend or attack the opposing arguments. Forensics is also mobile, so students will attend tournaments and such.
• Teen Arts is a club based on competitive art and includes the 25 best of the best artists from MHS and 25 from ABIS. The work is selected by the Art Department and is based on skill level and merit. Students from the entire County gather at RVCC to showcase their school. Manville students ages 13-18 are encouraged to submit work and join this outing.
• Finally, MHS offers Yearbook Club. The overall objective is to take photos of significant events around the school as well as conduct interviews and other activities to comprise enough information to put into the yearbook.

That concludes the Extracurricular Activities in the MHS school guide. Again as mentioned previously each extracurricular activity has various different requirements that are important to keep track of like dates and schedules but besides that, it is highly recommended that students participate in extracurricular activities for the experiences and the benefits they will receive if they plan on taking secondary education.