This year, Archie Williams students introduced a variety of new clubs to the campus, offering students growing opportunities to explore their interests and hobbies while also connecting with like-minded peers. From helping the environment to supporting local causes, the new clubs aim to build a community where teamwork and interests can grow. 

Among the new additions is Thrift Club, co-founded by juniors Evangeline Arnold and Rhiannon Connelly, which aims to bring together students who share a love for thrifting, as well as cultivate an awareness for sustainable shopping. Thrift Club highlights the importance of reusing, recycling, and repurposing clothes, and provides a creative space for students to express themselves through fashion.

“We have people come by our meeting place, drop off clothes, and we’re gonna go home and wash them. Then in about two weeks, we’ll bring the clothes back for other people to take home and enjoy,” Evangeline said.

Thrift Club actively encourages student participation and clothing recycling, hoping to create a welcoming environment where everyone can contribute. Evangeline believes that through this engagement, members learn the value of sustainability and collaboration, ultimately helping to build more environmentally friendly practices that benefit both individuals and the planet. 

“Thrifting is a really common interest that a lot of people at school share, so really just uniting people while promoting sustainability is a good way for us to incentivize reusing and recycling old clothes,” Evangeline said. 

According to Business Dasher, “83% of Generation Z are either already shopping or are open to shopping for secondhand clothes.” With thrifting becoming increasingly popular among teenagers, the club offers students a chance to explore their fashion sense while being environmentally mindful. The Thrift Club serves as both a creative outlet for personal style and a way for students to connect through shared values and interests.

A second new club, The Key Club, focuses on community service and outreach. Senior Co-Presidents Ben Borgeson and Oliver Mulholland foster the club’s strong commitment to making a positive impact on local communities through organized service projects. 

Ben believes joining the Key Club is an easy and direct way to get involved in volunteering.

“We just really plan on giving back to our community, whether that’s food banks, having operations set up like a church in Tiburon that helps people during Thanksgiving, or supporting workforces that aren’t able to pay people,” Ben said. “Some places aren’t able to get out there and communicate with other people to get volunteer work, so if we’re able to reach out to them and help, then we’re happy and they’re happy.”

The club plans various activities, such as organizing food drives and coordinating community clean-up events, to encourage students to get involved in their communities while fostering connections among its members. 

“We plan on giving back to our community while also building a community from the people you meet at school. It’s just fun. I love meeting new people,” Ben said. 

Through these projects, Ben hopes members develop essential skills including leadership, communication, and time management, contributing to participants’ growth both inside and outside the classroom.

A third new club, Surf Club, is an initiative created by senior Stella Smoot, to help find and connect surfers in the school community.  

“I was talking with a couple friends about starting a surf club last year. I know there’s more people who surf, but you can never find them. It was just an idea but this year I was like let’s do it for real.” Stella said. “We want to create a place where anyone feels like they can join, even if they’ve never surfed before.” 

To foster this community, Stella and her friends plan to host local surfing trips at least once a week. “We’re hoping to set up surfing every Friday morning because we start [school] a half-hour later,” Stella said. Members are also encouraged to use the club’s group chat to communicate a spontaneous session anytime, adding to the joy of the sport. 

Archie Williams’ new clubs not only offer fun and exciting opportunities, but also empower students to make a difference, both locally and globally. For more information about the wide range of clubs at Archie Williams, students can check the Archie Williams website and stay tuned for announcements regarding club activities throughout the school year.