Club News
Sigma Tau Sigma
Sigma Tau Sigma is a club where, upperclassmen have the opportunity to give advice and support, to their new freshmen peers. Each upperclassmen in the club has a group of freshmen that he or she mentors throughout the year. The mission of Sigma Tau Sigma is to help freshmen transition into high school easier. The high school transition is a big social change, as well as a huge educational change. The workload is more than most incoming freshmen are used too. Having a mentor help along the way, and offer some advice in many different aspects, can help incoming freshmen adapt quicker. They can also offer advice about time management, stress, and AP classes. The students involved in Sigma Tau Sigma must have leadership skills, empathetic personalities, as well as school spirit. Sigma Tau Sigma hopes that they have helped freshmen feel more welcomed during their transition into Broad Run high school. Rising junior and senior students apply in mid March, and join the following school year. The students selected are of good standard. Sigma Tau Sigma students can get actively involved by simply attending the training once a month. The training is where the students plan the activities for freshmen. Sigma Tau Sigma is a very safe environment, this is done by listening to students and caring about their lives. There are currently 120 members, in Sigma Tau Sigma. This club is for students who enjoy talking to others, who care that all students feel included in our school community and can be a good role model. This organization also teaches life skills. Students will learn how to lead discussions, communicate effectively and show empathy, as well as offer support to their underclassmen peers.
Feminist Club
Feminist Club is aimed at providing a space for understanding and discussing moral and social issues. We hope to educate people on the true definition of feminism. We hope to inspire action from our members on topics they are passionate about. Our goal is to bring the importance of equality to the forefront of the Broad Run community. We cater to people interested in learning more about the social aspects of their society, or people who are interested in listening and understanding contrasting views. We have carried out four successful seminars and involved our members in a campaign about incarceration. This year, we are constructing an “I Weigh” mural in collaboration with many other clubs to raise awareness for the problems people face with their body image. Students can just join the Remind by texting @brhsfemclb and come by the meetings every second Thursday in room 202! Students can get involved by participating in our seminars or club projects and murals. Every meeting creates a new opportunity for student involvement. During our many controversial discussions, we create a safe platform for students to feel comfortable sharing their views and for other students to feel confident when they agree or disagree with a peer’s thoughts. Feminist Club creates close bonds amongst the members which further fosters this environment. There are currently 20 members in feminist club, and we welcome anyone to join! Feminist Club forces us outside of our beliefs and surroundings and helps us to understand and respect the views of others. As we progress throughout our lives, it is important to remain informed and willing to listen.
Giving Branch
The Giving Branch is a non profit pop up thrift shop, that donates all proceeds to ILRF. The mission of TGB is to educate the community about Fast Fashion and to help mitigate all its harms- particularly sweatshop labor and damage to the environment. TGB caters to those who have a passion for the environment and helping others. Additionally, as it involves running a charity pop-up thrift shop, those with entrepreneurial interests would enjoy it as well. TGB has raised hundreds of dollars for the International Labor Rights Forum, which helps fight sweatshop labor worldwide. TGB has also worked with educating children about how to reuse clothing. TGB has taken in lots of old clothing, and reused it to prevent it from ending up in landfills. Students may join by emailing ‘[email protected]’. Students can get involved by attending meetings and volunteering at TGB events. TGB is a safe environment for all students, due to the embracement of new ideas and new people. The kids involved provide a kind and nurturing environment, and are welcoming to all new members. TGB is a smaller club with only 6 members, but it is looking to expand its membership this school year. There are no special skills required, and everyone is welcomed to join. TGB benefits students by allowing them to help make a difference towards one of the most pressing issues of this generation- the environment. It also allows students to become more connected to the community and give back.
The Giving Branch
I joined The Giving Branch because I learned about the way fast fashion affects the planet and human lives and I wanted to help. I joined the club when it was formed, in February of this year. I’ve been to every event and am the current club president. As a club, we get to not only raise money for charities, but also work alongside the community. Last school year, The Giving Branch volunteered at many PNO’s teaching the kids about how they can reuse clothing. The Giving Branch works quite a bit with educating children because they are the generation that will have to fix the previous generation’s mistakes.
Since joining The Giving Branch, I’ve been more concerned with the source of my clothing. I signed a pledge not to buy any new clothing (just “new to me” clothing, like that from thrift stores) and I haven’t bought any new clothing yet. I think it’s really important to consider the impact of your choices as a consumer, and it just seemed common sense to not use my dollar to support companies that take advantage of workers and pollute the already polluted Earth. Truly, I think anybody who cares should join The Giving Branch. Even if you don’t know a thing about Fast Fashion, if you care about the environment, or human rights, or consumerism, you should join The Giving Branch. Firstly, they can attend our interest meeting on September 11th at 8:30 am in room 183. If they miss that they can shoot us an email at [email protected] or add us on remind @gb183.
The Giving Branch is definitely a safe environment for all students. Because of our smaller membership, our meetings function as a sort of a brainstorming session where all the members work together to coordinate the next event. We love new ideas and new faces, so if you’re not sure if you should join, stop by our interest meeting to get a feel for The Giving Branch!
Emily Branch, Club President
We are all Human
International Peer Tutoring
International peer tutoring is a club that helps foreign students become situated into Broad Run, and into the new customs of American high school. The mission of IPT is to help improve language skills for Turkish students as well as increase cultural awareness for both Turkish and BR students. This is an international service club. Students who are interested in meeting and helping other students in a distant country, would fit the criteria for this club. Last year was our first year and approximately 32 BR students tutored 33 Turkish students for over 550 total hours. Students can become tutors by talking with Ms. Sabatino in room 116. Students can get actively involved by tutoring and mentoring for excessive hours. A member must complete one 30-minute session every week. International Peer Tutoring is a very safe environment for students. This is ensured by Ms. Sabatino by talking to the tutors about being culturally sensitive, and “connecting with their partner on different levels.” This year we have about 20 students because we lost about 12 seniors and are looking to replace those seniors with new members! The most important ‘skill’ is to be committed. Tutors cannot easily miss their sessions. Last year, most sessions occurred at 8:30 AM due to the time difference between VA and Turkey. During Daylight savings, this changed to a 7:30 AM tutoring session. Most tutors really enjoyed the cultural exchange. Students have also appreciated the difference they made in the lives of their Turkish partner. “Turkish students MUST pass an English test and our tutors are truly pivotal in helping students pass their exam.” Our world is becoming more global, and the more students that reach out to help others understand other cultures, the more they will be prepared to enter this global world after graduation.
Thirst Project
The Thirst Project raises money and awareness to build wells in developing third world countries, the mission of The Thirst Project is to end the global water crisis, and this club is for any student who enjoys volunteering, getting involved, and is passionate about ending the global water crisis. Last year, the Thirst Project Raised $6,800, and their goal this year is 10,000. The Thirst Project has succeeded in bringing local awareness to such a daunting issue. They hold annual basketball games at Farmwell Station Middle School called “Ball for a Cause”. They also have a fairly successful instagram page with over 900 followers. Thirst project is raising local awareness to underdeveloped areas of the world. They way students can join by signing up for the remind (@brhsthirst) Follow on ig (@Thirstprojectbr), and attend the meetings. Next meeting is october 4th, in the Cafeteria! Students can get involved as actively or inactively as they want. Students can simply join the remind and come to the meetings, or they can help out with hosting events, donut sales, selling merchandise, and helping host the “Ball 4 a Cause” in December. Thirst Project is a very safe environment for students as Thirst project is very student oriented. The club is open to interpretation by students, and they can interject or add any input that they see fit. The students control the direction of the club, and students are safe to say, and do what they want, as well as be who they want. There are currently 60 members in the Thirst Project and this is a club for anyone and everyone. There is no certain skill set, other than I love for giving back and helping out. Thirst project prepares students for many real life situations. The club helps teach students about budgeting and fundraising. These are two important factors when it comes to running events, and selling merchandise. Students also improve their public speaking skills, and become better at expressing themselves. A quote Andy Cruz said to me stuck with be “Being comfortable with the uncomfortable”. This quote resurrects many different emotions in me, however, I mostly relate it to the unknown territory that high school can sometimes poses. This is what The Thirst Project is all about, throwing yourself in unfamiliar territory, and growing while learning as much as you can, while making an impact.
SCA
SCA is Student council association, they basically plan and organize all school spirit related events. SCA’s mission is to make the experience of Broad Run a bit more fun. They plan school events like homecoming, and organize fundraising events to put on many of the fun activities we do here at Broad Run. SCA caters to students Interested in making decisions for the school. Students who have school spirit, and are passionate about getting involved. Hardworking students!!! SCA organizes and hosts many events annually. Events like homecoming, Mr and mrs. Spartan, Jingle Bell Banquet, teacher appreciation, as well as all the spirit days. In the spring, there will be applications available. Anyone who’s interested can file out an application. Members are chosen prior to the school year. SCA takes place of a study hall block. SCA is a very safe space for students. It’s a smaller class,so it feels more like a family, according to the members. It’s ran by the students, so students are allowed to have free range of their opinions, ideas, and are encouraged to get involved. There are 17 members in SCA. SCA is for anyone that wants to be involved with what happens at the school, whether its making dances more fun, spirit days, or making school more enjoyable. SCA definitely prepares students for the real world. SCA involved lots of collaborative work, reaching out and talking to people in the community, interact professionally, and learn what goes into event planning.
SCA
Ashley Meccia is an SCA member here at Broad Run high School. Ashley has always loved Broad Run. Her sister went here before her, so the Broad Run spirit has always been around her. When she came into Broad Run, she loved the spirit Broad Run had to offer. She wanted to be involved in decision making, as well as events related to school spirit. SCA has so far been the ideal club for Ashley, and she enjoys the authority it gives her. Ashley applied towards the end of her Freshman year, and joined the beginning of sophomore year. She says it’s better to join earlier, so you can learn the setting and skills SCA requires. Her joining as an underclassmen, helped broaden her understanding of the club and made her more reliable and an asset to the club. Ashley has gotten involved by helping run all the events; homecoming, pep rallies, Mr Spartan, jingle bell banquet, teacher appreciation at the end of the year, ect. Ashley also goes above and beyond in SCA dedicating time outside of school to get planning done. SCA has overall helped Ashley become for organized, and helped her come out of her shell a bit. She compares SCA to a family, and says that they have helped her become more outgoing. Students that are passionate about Broad run, and love school spirit. Students that are also hard workers, and willing to put the work in to lan these events accordingly. Turn in your application when it’s due, and participate! Find an event you want to get involved with, and just run with it. Yes, SCA is a very safe place for all students. Everyone is welcomed, and everyone is valued.
PEN
I love reading and PEN was a way I could get involved in the English community at Broad Run where I can meet other people with similar interests while being involved in activities that help our greater community. I joined PEN last year, and I’m so glad I did because I was able to be a part of something that I love, and help out at amazing events, like coffee houses and the African-American read-in. I’ve gotten involved by, attending coffeehouses where we share stories or poems that we have written is one of my favorite events that PEN does. I also love participating in the African-American where we invite an author of color to share their work at Broad Run. It is very rewarding to help set up these events for students. I have met other people who share my love for reading and writing. Going to the African American reading has been culturally enriching. Any student that likes to read and/or write, and wants to share that with other students would find a great community in PEN. Applications are open for juniors and seniors in the fall, but other students are welcome to attend our other events, such as coffeehouses and the African American read in, at any time. Information about dates can be found on the PEN Broad Run website. PEN is a safe environment for all students because we are all united in our passion for reading and writing, so there is no discrimination or any mistreatment of members.
anonymous, Pen officers
Psi Epsilon Nu
Students Against Hunger
Students Against Hunger is a club that focuses on creating a constructive relationship with the community to help alleviate hunger in our local area while raising awareness for global hunger. Students Against Hunger hopes to do as much as possible to help those who are not as unfortunate as us, and those that don’t have a warm meal every day. We want to tackle this problem in our local area by getting as involved as possible. The mission is feeding as many people in our local area that they possibly can. Students Against Hunger appeals to those who are looking for ways to get involved in the community through volunteering, hands-on help, and through fundraising and raising awareness. They raise money to donate to local food pantries and work with organizations like Loudoun Hunger Relief and Dulles food pantry. Students can join our service club by joining the remind by texting @brhshunger to 81010 or coming to our monthly meetings! Also, following us on Instagram at @brhshunger is a great idea. Students can get actively involved by being regular members and signing up to volunteer through our club and helping our club with fundraising and marketing regularly. Our club is a safe environment for anyone because you only have to get involved with whatever you want and you can choose to be a casual member or a more serious member. We verify all of all organizations that we work with and we make sure that we are always being safe during volunteer events and we go over possible situations, hazards, and possibilities that may occur. There are currently about 40 active members that come to our meetings, volunteer with us too. Anyone can join Students Against Hunger! We are open to anyone joining. You can get involved however you want and there’s always a place for anyone in our club. After all, helping the community as much as possible with as many people as possible makes a big difference. We prepare students for the real world because we convey the importance of volunteering as a civic responsibility. We also help students with leadership skills and communication skills.
Students Against Hunger
I joined Students Against Hunger because I wanted to make a difference for people in our community! There are people that don’t have enough money to feed their family every single day; the goal of this club is to help change this. I joined the club last spring and now help plan activities to accomplish our goal! It has made me much more aware of the needs of our community and neighbors. I honestly think any students from any background would benefit and love Students Against Hunger! It’s such a good way to give back to the community and help a family have a better day. If anyone wants to join, come help out at one of our food drives this year or go to any of our meetings! It’s a great club to be involved in. While it does touch on some difficult topics, addressing them and finding solutions can help us make this world a better place. It is an extremely welcoming club, and I am so happy that I joined!
Sydney Peppe, club member
StudentsAgainst Hunger
Interact
Interact is a service club, that involved interaction with the community, through volunteer hours. The mission of Interact is to provide service opportunities and to have fun. Interact is for people who like helping others and want volunteer hours. Interact has accomplished many successful blood drives, the donation of 1000 meals, and the donation of canned food in our yearly canned food drive. Students can join by entering the google classroom code MSTN1V5. Students can get involved by coming to meetings, and actively volunteering for our events. Interact is made a a safe environment for students by “keeping it low key and having spaced out meetings.” There are about 75-100 members in Interact. The club is recommended for anyone, and there is no certain skill set required to join Interact. This club benefits students because they learn how to help others and themselves.
Interact
I joined because its a volunteer club that seemed like a lot of fun. I joined my Freshman year. I have gotten involved by going to meetings, being a committee chair, and now I am president. Interact has heavily impacted my life. I love to volunteer with interact to help the community. I think anyone would benefit from joining Interact. Students who want to get more involved or have more opportunities would benefit from Interact. If you don’t know how to get involved, ask anyone in Interact! They can help you get involved! Yes Interact is a safe environment for all students.
Sonia Shah, Club President
Interact
PEER
PEERs are students who are trained in basic counseling, listening and communication skills. PEERs are available to talk with other students who may have a problem but don’t want to talk with an adult. The mission of PEERs is to; help new students feel at home at Broad Run, help students to deal with frustrating situations: school, teachers, assignments, etc, help students to manage stress, anxiety, and anger, help students with loss (death, divorce, or break-up), and to be there to listen when students need to vent or just have someone to listen to them. PEER is responsible for many campaigns throughout the year such as their “That’s Love” campaign to promote healthy relationships and their “Finesse Your Stress” campaign promoting healthy activities to relieve stress. We have helped many students at BRHS and hope that anyone who is struggling will reach out for a PEER! Students are welcome to apply to be a PEER when applications are available in the spring. Listen for announcements or follow them on their Instagram: @broadrunpeer to hear more and to see what PEER is up to. Any student who needs to seek out help from a PEER can do so all year by requesting a meeting on their school website. PEERs work all year promoting healthy activities for students. PEERs are also frequently helping students at Broad Run who are experiencing: relationship Issues, social/friend problems, academic stress, vernal stress, family issues, loneliness, and bullying. PEER has also gone and worked with Farmwell students to help with similar issues and adjusting to the high school transition. Meeting with a PEER is confidential UNLESS you are harming yourself, someone else, or someone is harming you. PEERs are required to alert the School Counselors to those issues. This year there are 15 PEERS but they are looking to expand for next year! I would recommend PEER for anyone who wants to help spread positivity and who enjoys meeting their peers and working to help others. The skills that PEERs are trained in are applicable to their lives outside of BRHS. PEERs can use these skills in their future relationships and work experiences.
PEER
I joined PEER because I wanted to make an impact at broad run. I thought PEER was an amazing opportunity to help students throughout the school, and connect with them on a personal level. It is also during the school day, so we had a lot more freedom and flexibility when it comes to meeting with students. I joined PEER my sophomore year and have been in it ever since. Through PEER I have received training on how to counsel students and handle sensitive issues. I have used this training to meet with contacts around the school, and be there when they needed someone to talk too. I also helped run campaigns around the school such as the “That’s Love/That’s not Love” and “Finesse Your Stress,” campaigns. I also helped plan new student lunches, worked with ELL students, and met with special education students around the school.
PEER taught me to be compassionate and the value of helping others. Being there for students around the school and talking with them as they deal with a variety of issues opened my eyes to many different perspectives. I think any student can benefit from PEER. If you are dealing with school stress, family issues, relationship issues, or just need someone to talk to, PEER is an amazing resource we have for students. Sometimes there is a stigma around seeking help, but PEER strives to challenge this idea. We are here for any student regardless of how small or large they feel their issues are, and sometimes you don’t realize how much you need someone to talk to, until you have that person. PEER connects students with other students, so that they can be the best version of themselves, who wouldn’t benefit from that!
You do not have to be in PEER to exemplify what we stand for. We encourage all students to go out of their way to be there for their friends, peers, and family members. Whether that be by saying hi to new students, becoming friends with a quieter student, or lending a listening ear to a troubled friend. You can also get involved in our campaigns we have throughout the year, recommend students you feel could use a peer, and even apply to be a PEER after your freshman year. Any student can work to make Broad Run a better place, it is the small things that matter. What may seem like nothing to you, could make a big impact in someone else’s life.
If you’re looking to be a PEER, look out for applications in the spring! PEER prides itself on being 100% confidential. Whatever our contacts say to our peers stays with the peer. This allows students to open up and feel like they have a place that they can go to, to be themselves and get their thoughts off their chest. Everyone in PEER has been trained to meet with contacts and have been selected to be in the program, not to mention they all have a passion for helping others. The PEERs themselves make the environment safe and welcoming to all students.
Hannah Hoaglund, PEER member
PEER