Hidden Gems: Clubs at TAB

Written By: Gigi Gilani

Photo By: Gigi Gilani

Contributor: Vanessa Vamvakaris 

The TAB community is strong and diverse, with so many exciting teams and clubs. The following clubs supported by the amazing Blakelock teachers welcome new members with open arms and are fun, safe places for students to be active members in our community.

First up is the DnD Club. “DnD'' is an acronym for Dungeons and Dragons, which is a fantasy role-playing game that is a club supervisor Mme. D’Alesio learned to play virtually with her friends over the pandemic. When her students found out she was a “Dungeon Master” outside of school and with the Netflix show Stranger Things being so popular, the club naturally came to be. DnD allows you to be yourself and create an entire character with a unique persona, skills, and even a different voice than your own. This club creates a comfortable environment where students can be their truest selves with like-minded, creative people. 

Another club that is perfect for harnessing your imagination is the Creative Writing Club run by Ms. Neumann. She is the Writers’ Craft teacher and started this club for students who have a passion for writing and want to share their work with others. Members of this club have a lot of fun sharing and discussing their stories with each other, socializing and making new friends, and improving their creative writing skills with the help of their peers and Ms. Neumann. They have worked on pieces such as short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. The Creative Writing Club specifically focuses on learning how to get your ideas out there and how to do so in various creative forms. 

The Ping Pong Club, supervised by Mr. Iafrate, giving students at Blakelock a chance to enjoy themselves and play at school. The Ping Pong Club isn't exclusively for people who have experience with ping pong, as a good majority of the members start out as beginners. Student Ran Qi who moved here from China, where he was not exposed to ping pong says, “It’s always good to get out of your comfort zone and try a variety of new sports.” It is an inclusive club for anyone who wants to get involved. 

The GSA is a club that is doing so much to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Supervised by Mr. Houston, it is a positive space where students are encouraged to raise awareness about important issues in our school and our society. Club member Jay Tennant says, “It’s small but it’s fun. We do a lot of fun things.” These fun things include the Masquerade Ball on Thursday, May 4th, organized by the GSA. It was one of the many amazing ways that this club has provided support for the LGBTQ+ students and the community as a whole.

The teachers and students in these communities work hard to create welcoming spaces and enjoyable events to make our school a better place. If you’re looking to get involved, make sure to check out these clubs!