Pine View harbors over one hundred clubs, a vast majority of which are for high school students. Out of those, there is a good portion that are science and technology based. This can make it difficult for students to choose, as it’s not always clear from the name of the club what it’s about, and many clubs have similar names but different purposes. Here are some of the more popular sci-tech clubs on our campus:
Science Olympiad
The Science Olympiad covers a broad spectrum of scientific topics. To prepare for the yearly competition, students pair up and study for the event they chose, such as engineering or forensic science.
Angela Keiper-Wilson, science teacher and club sponsor said, “So, the club is fun because it’s very relaxed in the sense that you come in, you get to work with a friend… and sometimes we play games, we’ll have foods… But again, the goal is to just get to the competition, and then want to be successful in the competition.”
In other words, the Science Olympiad is focused on getting students interested in science and technology in a way that makes learning fun.
Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
For those that want to specialize in health, this club provides both interesting and useful knowledge. Students prepare for competitions in the subsections that they choose, aiming to place as high as they can at the various leadership conferences throughout the year. Although all aspects of the medical field are included, subsections vary greatly, some specializing more in chemistry, like biotechnology, and others teaching about how nurses should record height or talk to patients.
Kelsey Elton, a devoted member of the club, said that “a lot of studying has to be done. You know, it’s not just stuff we’re going to be taught at school….”
Biomedical Engineering (BMES)
Unlike some of the other science clubs, BMES doesn’t participate in competitions. Instead, the club is focused on working alongside scientists to enhance medicine. For example, students are working with Dr. Tatiana Arias from the Selby Gardens to try to grow different tissues on a plant “skeleton,” which could potentially be used to help regrow limbs or other cells in patients. This project has been ongoing for three years.
Aside from researching large projects, students also participate in smaller labs and welcome guest speakers such as Dr. Arias and Dr. Joseph Seaman, a pulmonologist in Sarasota. The club dives deep into biomedical science and the careers students can go into in that field, providing an interesting learning opportunity.
Neuroscience Club
The Neuroscience Club studies the brain as students prepare to take the Brain Bee, which consists of a test and a research poster of literature reviews. The University of Central Florida (UCF) provides a curriculum for students to learn from with lessons and webinars from professors and graduate students. The club members, meeting several times a month from the start of the school year and up to the competition, get in groups to create the posters. They also dissect sheep, pig, and cow brains for further practice in identifying and labeling parts.
FIRST Robotics
A club focusing on involving students in STEM, it requires dedication. Throughout the year, students, divided into sections according to their interests, work on designing, building, fundraising, and providing media coverage for projects. During build season, however, things get more intense. Build season is a 6-week period that leads up to the main competitions of the year when teams get to show off the giant robots they’ve built and the tasks they can complete.
Hamza Memon, current club president, said, “… one year [our robot] had to climb up monkey bars… This year we have to shoot foam rings into a basket.“
Memon stays for hours after school, drilling, hammering, and putting the robot together. Given its size requirements and the complexity of the tasks, there are many specialized parts and construction takes time. Other members share a similar experience, as at least fifty hours of working on the project are needed for students to go to the competition.
Rocketry Club
The older clubs are not the only big ones. Having started just this school year, Rocketry Club is prospering. Created to build rocket models, its main goal is to go to Nationals in the American Rocketry Challenge. To achieve this, the rocket must meet three criteria: reach a certain height, be in the air for a certain time, and keep the egg that’s placed inside the model safe. Although most of the complex math is done by a simulation, creating the right rocket isn’t easy. A lot of it is trial and error, according to Saket Sarkar, founder and current president of the club.
The club isn’t all about competing, though, and is not as serious as some of the other clubs. Besides preparing for the American Rocketry Challenge, they also launch their rockets for fun. To add to the buoyant attitude, the team has a mascot – a stuffed bear named Goober.
Game Jam Club
Previously known as the Competitive Coding Club, this year, the Game Jam Club changed its title to better reflect the club’s goals: to create computer games and have fun. The club is divided into three smaller sub-teams, which each work on a certain topic, including working on art and design, programming, and creating a storyline for the game.
For several meetings, students research possible ideas, then narrow it down and start working on creating a finished product. This takes months. This school year, for example, the club made a game based on the internet’s “Cronk the Cat.” Starting in August and making a presentable game by the date of the Pine View Fair in October, the students are still finalizing details and hope to publish it. From beginning to end, the process of creating the game is very similar to that in the real world.
Technology Student Association (TSA)
Like many other clubs, TSA is focused on helping students develop their career path. What sets it apart, though, is that a student or a group can participate in several events at once, which gives a chance to try new things and see what jobs are best for you.
Sanjana Prakash, current president of the club, explained that “it’s not just technology. It has a bunch of different things that help you explore what you want to do in the future.” She credited the club with helping her figure out what she wants to do. If a student doesn’t like designing and 3D-printing an architectural project, they can try crafting a physical product for fashion design instead.