Take this quiz and find a new club to join

West High’s club fair showcased over 50 clubs on Sept. 15. Take this quiz for some recommendations on West’s different clubs and student organizations.

Anna Greenlee and Alyssa McClain

Sep 23, 2025

Staff

West has almost 50 clubs that allow students to perform, compete, learn and be active in their community. Which club will you join?

West’s cafeteria was filled with almost 50 clubs during the annual club fair on Sept. 15. The fair is an opportunity for clubs to advertise themselves to students, but it also allows students to learn about and sign up for new clubs.

From running a business to producing a play to building robots, clubs at West offer many new and exciting opportunities and experiences. Anyone can find their niche, find a new interest or learn new things.

Overwhelmed by the options? Answer a couple of questions and get West Side Story’s club recommendations.

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8 Total Questions

Question 1/8

What's your favorite school subject?

Math and science

Art and music

World languages

English

Social studies

Question 8/8

What clubs and activities do you already like?

STEM

Sports and PE classes

Music, theater and other art programs

Cultural events

Public speaking and entrepreneurship

Volunteering and helping others

More information on your results

Sports clubs

Juniors Audrey Crawford and Minna Abdalla, and sophomores Amaia Martinez and Kristy Kakizawa pose during the pickleball tournament. (Colin Wehrle)

Whether it’s a basketball, a frisbee or a pickleball, you feel at home on the court (or field). West offers a variety of sports clubs that include both popular and non-traditional sports. It’s not limited to athletes; there’s something for everyone.

Pickleball Club was founded two years ago, and, like the sport, its popularity has soared. Last year, over XX members hosted XX games and tournaments at the West High tennis courts. Whether you’re a pro or a beginner, pickleball (and Pickleball Club) will dink its way straight into your heart.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Jessica Mehegan in room 219, student leaders Asif Ali ’26 and Jack Eastvold ’26 or the club Instagram, @icwpickleball.

WINGS is West’s ultimate frisbee club. Wings has been the Ultimate Frisbee State Champion multiple times since its establishment in 2012. They also placed 12th in the Ultimate Frisbee High School National Invite in 2017. Despite these awards, the club is for students of any age level or experience to learn about ultimate and, more importantly, hang outside with friends.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Ronan Smith, student leaders Ethan Lee ’26 or the club Instagram, @icwingsultimate.

Culture clubs

Walk it out members gather on the stage to pose for a large group photo. (Josephine Schwartz)

There’s a world of cultural clubs and organizations that showcase West’s many diverse cultures. From activism to performances to just hanging out, anyone can find a place to feel represented and seen.

Black Student Union is a place for Black students to share their experiences. Since 2020, they’ve organized meetings, movie nights, teach-ins and community events. For their work, BSU has received Black History Month proclamations from both the Iowa City Council and Johnson County supervisors.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsors Maureen Head or Amari Nasafi in Room 105 or the club Instagram, @icwesthighbsu.

Sudanese Student Organization organizes movie nights, game nights and soccer matches, all while advocating for the people of Sudan.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsors Kerri Barnhouse in Room 104, student leader Iman Alnour ’26 or the club Instagram, @icwestsso.

Unidos is the Latinx student union; the name can be translated as “united” in English. This is no surprise, as the members come together to speak Spanish together, watch films, participate in projects, go on field trips, dance and otherwise hang out.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsors Victor Diaz Galindo in Room 235, student leaders Pablo Mateo ’27 and Aidan O’Leary ’27 or the club Instagram, @unidos.icwest.

Art clubs

Sabrina Du ’25 performs “My Heart Will Go On” with Tina Hong ’25 at Cadenza’s annual Vue Concert. (Anna Song)

Clubs give artists many different opportunities to enjoy art or show off their work, whether it’s a painting, poem, literature or theater. Even if you don’t want to help produce magazines, galleries or plays, they’re available for everyone to enjoy as a reader or audience member.

Grapevine is West’s literary magazine, which compiles and showcases various art, poems and essays submitted by students. The club organizes, selects submissions for, designs and distributes one magazine a year.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Darien Robins in Room 108 or student leaders Lydia Cruce ’27 and Sharon Liao ’27.

The Banned Books Club meets to read and discuss banned books and the current legislation limiting literature. They have also organized book drives, open mics and curated library displays to raise awareness.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Molly Sofranko in Room 160 or student leaders Jennifer Zeng ’26 and Calvin Adams ’27.

Cadenza is a group of musicians who perform pieces of their choice for fundraisers and community events. From concerts in the school cafeteria to live music at The Vue, the group performs for many different venues, audiences and causes.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor John Welch in the orchestra room (room 1050) or student leaders Momoka Shinozaki ’27, Colin Wehrle ’27 and Kento Sugiyama ’27.

Student Produced Innovative Theater is a collection of actors, directors and other students who produce two different plays in January in West’s Little Theater. Both shows are open for the public to enjoy.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Katy Nahra in Room 102, student leaders Greta Gromacki ’26 and Carter Birch Houchins-Witt ’26 or the club Instagram, @whs_spit.

Volunteering clubs

Volunteers Charlotte Stephens ’26 and Sajdah Mahmoud ’28 organize and hand out snacks for donors to recuperate after their appointment. (Jordan Smith)

Looking to help your community? Just looking for silver cord hours? Either way, West’s clubs will help set you up with diverse volunteering opportunities to meet new people, develop new skills, learn new things and, most importantly, log those hours.

1440 Interact Club is a volunteering club that makes the most of the 1440 minutes in a day by helping their community. They’ve organized trivia night fundraisers, volunteered at retirement homes and joined other community service initiatives.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Amy Seidel in Room 237 or student leaders Maya Mueller ’26 and Faizaan Ahmad ’27.

Red Cross Club is a club affiliated with the American Red Cross that organizes two school blood drives a year. Volunteers help publicize the drives, check donors in and hand out snacks or prizes to the donors.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Jessica Mehegan in Room 219, student leader Anna Greenlee ’26 or the club Instagram, @icwredcrossclub.

Best of West is a school tutoring service in which students volunteer to tutor their peers. During Advisory, students can request to come down to room 104 for tutoring help or a Best of West tutor can come to you. With a breadth of knowledge, students can help out with almost any class at West.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Kerri Barnhouse in Room 104 or student leader Faisal Hamzeh ’27.

STEM clubs

Shanza Sami ’26, Aahana Gupta ’27 and Erin Chen ’27 help a group of students find LEGO pieces. (Catherine Xu)

Not tired of your math and science classes yet? West has an array of clubs that go further in STEM topics through teaching, testing and competing. There aren’t any prerequisites or limits to entry; you can just sign up!

STEM for Youth is a collection of students who create and teach programs for elementary schoolers to learn about various sciences. A couple of times a year, students will visit the elementary schools during their after-school program and teach them about chemistry, earth sciences and more in fun activities.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Megan Bildner in Room 2, student leaders Shanza Sami ’26 and Thara Rajagopal ’26 or the club Instagram, @icwstemforyouth.

Mu Alpha Theta is West’s nationally ranked math team. Students learn math that expands upon what you learn in the classroom and apply it to problem-solving and competitions.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor James Kirpes in Room 206.

Trobotix is West’s FTC robotics team, which builds small bots to compete in matches across their league. Students can build their skills in engineering, programming and problem solving, all while crushing the competition.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Renee Gibson in Room 204, student leader Tadamichi Goto ’26 or the club Instagram, @westhighrobotics.

Student organizations

West’s freshman BPA members stand before going to the BPA conference closing session. Used with permission of Diane Fickel.

More of a social studies type of person? Maybe it’s business or politics. No matter which one tickles your fancy, you can find a club for you, from debate tournaments to elections to a state conferences.

Business Profesionals of America is a student-led business organization where students develop soft skills and compete on a national level. The students also run Pump-It-Up, the school’s café, whose proceeds fund the organization and charities.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Diane Fickel in Room 123, or the club Instagram, @icwestbpa.

West’s Speech and Debate are back-to-back five-time state champions. Speech is made up events that require one to channel their acting skills. It also has typical speaking events like informative speaking where one gives a 10 minute speech on any topic. On the other hand, debate focuses on public forum, policy and competes in a couple tournaments every month.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Kailey Mgrdichian in Room 133, student leaders Aahana Gupta ’27, Faizaan Ahmed ’27 or Eddie El-Fadil ’27 or the club Instagram, @icwdebate.

Model United Nations consists of students researching, writing about and representing assigned countries throughout the year until the state conference in the spring. The conference is inspired by the United Nations, giving students experience with politics and foreign relations at a high school level.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Holly Robinson in Room 223, student leaders Amy Thomas ’28 or the club Instagram, @icwmodelun.

Student Government is a group of students who organize school events. They have committee that manage the finances and planning of Homecoming, pep rallies, spirit weeks and study sessions. They also hold elections for President and Vice President in the spring.
If interested in joining, contact club sponsor Camille Crossett in Room 221, student leaders Waleed Ibrahim ’26 and Eyad El-Fadil ’27 or the club Instagram, @icweststudentgov.

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About the contributor

Anna Greenlee, Design, Entertainment and Opinion Editor

Anna Greenlee is a senior and this is her third year on staff. This is her second year as Design, Entertainment and Opinion Editor, and she specializes in graphic design. Outside of school, she enjoys cooking, painting and listening to Laufey.

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Take this quiz and find a new club to join

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