Most students diverge in their own preferences; however, a common interest that remains among them is the collective participation in extracurricular activities. Driven by a need to allow students as many opportunities as possible, Northern Valley Old Tappan’s administration has committed itself to diversifying and increasing the number of clubs every year. In addition to the clubs that were incorporated last year, the 2017-18 school year has also welcomed the Theater and Varsity Clubs.

Theater Club, run by Play Director Ms. Susan Van Buskirk, extends opportunities to students who enjoy the theatrical arts. Van Buskirk believes that it was the “right time to reinvigorate the club” because of the recent addition of the Acting and Stagecraft classes. In addition, Mr. Charles Miller, teacher of the newly incorporated theater classes, also believes that there is a current necessity for creativity, which theater satisfies. According to Miller, not only does the club “give people a chance to create and be a part of something special, starting with nothing but a blank stage,” but it also allows students to challenge themselves by “coordinating all different disciplines and teaching mostly about the human condition and experience.” One of the club’s activities, Van Buskirk states, includes “giving life to some important pieces of of dramatic literature.” At the moment, the club is preparing their first selection, Our Town, for an audience. However, the club also looks forward to seeing a live performance and participating in community service. There is a wide range of roles that the club offers, serving to benefit a diversified student body. As Miller states, the club is “a great way of expressing oneself” and “build relationships, sets, and costumes” through a “magical” process.

Varsity Club, initially suggested by Dr. Sabatini, was a request for more student involvement at sporting events and activities on behalf of the administration. Ms. Christine Massaro, the club advisor, strives to have students “show support for their classmates, help them make good decisions, and create [a] great sense of school pride.” With additional encouragement from Dr. Hyman and Dr. Mezzina, the goal of getting “student involvement in as many activities as possible” is becoming a reality. Already, 350 students have signed up for the club, making it one of the biggest clubs in the school. Moreover, Massaro has seen “students coming [to games] that previously would not have.” One of the club’s activities, which promotes student involvement, is “Game of the Week” in which students go to at least one game a week, and upload a picture of themselves on a Google document. However, the club is not just focused on increasing participation at sports events. For instance, Massaro states that Varsity Club previously worked with the Women’s Issues Club “to promote domestic abuse awareness in the month of October by wearing purple to some of the games.”  Essentially, the club seeks to create an inclusive environment for all students at sporting events.

Through the addition of the Theater and Varsity Clubs, students now have  more opportunities to participate and to take a more active role within the school community. The school’s active role in pursuing different fields of interests and offering them will allow for creative growth among the student body.