Clubs have been with us for generations, whether it’s a sports club that meets up once a week, or art clubs that meet up every other day. A few reasons why clubs are so important is that they are a great way to develop social skills, share common interests, and get involved in the school community. Organizations like these can help students to mature into fine young adults and give us the necessary skills to strive in the real world. According to www.apopkahs.ocps.net, there were forty clubs that you could join at Apopka High School last year. In this article, we are going to talk about the new clubs that were incorporated into our school this year.

The Apopka Blue Darters have recently invited two new organizations to join our community, The BDN, and We All Vote.The DNN, one of our older clubs, has recently retired, leaving us without morning news. In order to fill this empty space, Mr.Washington, a teacher at Apopka High School, decided to create a new club to allow kids attending school to get the news and entertainment in the morning. The club calls themselves the BDN. Another new club is We All Vote, which was established to encourage teenagers who are eligible to vote or want to learn more about voter registration to be informed on how to vote. In this day and age, many young adults are oblivious to certain political issues. This club will prepare kids to be a political impact, and the sponsor for Apopka High School is our very own Ms. Houvouras.

The BDN is starting as a brand new club as of this 2020 school year. That means new anchors, new promoters, new technology sites, etc. Luckily, Mr. Washington has found the perfect group of kids to do just that. One of these kids is Junior,Taylor Adams.This young lady has hopes of becoming a sports reporter for the NFL or NBA when she gets older and has always made sure to express her interest in being on the announcements. According to Taylor, she has goals to help this club “become successful and consistent,” by the end of this year. Taylor also adds that due to the coronavirus, they have even more segment ideas, including “The Mask Detective,” in which BDN members will go around campus making sure everyone is following the correct safety procedures.

The lack of young adults expressing their political opinions has been a recent issue. That is why Ms. Houvouras, an English and newspaper teacher at Apopka High School, decided to become the sponsor of We All Vote. “ As a black woman, I’m especially aware of the struggles that those who came before me endured so that I could participate in the democratic process. The policies made by politicians today will most affect our younger generations, who will have to deal with the benefits or repercussions for years to come,” states Ms.Houvouras. A club member is expected to learn and understand the importance of voter registration, as well as influencing teens to close the voter gap. Sophomore Michael  a Moss decided to join We All Vote because “we can’t have a true democracy until the popular vote truly represents the majority of the Americans.”

Clubs continue to make an impact on our school environment. Whether it’s advancing social skills, sharing the same passion, or interacting with the community, clubs have made extracurricular activities more interesting. The BDN and We All Vote club are two new organizations out of the many clubs at Apopka High School. These clubs are sure to have quite an impact on the lives of students and teachers alike.