LIFE LESSONS; RUSH AT SIMI HIGH SHOWS VARIOUS CLUBS.Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Staff Writer Concerned that some students at Simi Valley High School Simi Valley High School is a secondary school located in Simi Valley, California which was established in 1920 as the first high school in the valley. It nestles in the Santa Susana Mountains and is adjacent to the San Fernando Valley, part of the city and county of Ventura. feel excluded from campus life, organizers used their annual Club Rush Day on Thursday to bring these pupils into the fold. ``The more time you invest in a school, the less apathetic ap·a·thet·ic adj. Lacking interest or concern; indifferent. ap  a·thet you're going to be and the more you're going to want it to succeed,'' said Tyson Hadduck, a 17-year-old senior and Associated Student Body president. Hadduck recalled that when he came to Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. two years ago from another state, joining clubs and participating in sports enabled him to make friends. Teachers said clubs are a way for students to further explore subjects they're interested in. ``There are so many skills that they can use when they get out into the world,'' said Beth Hopp, Leadership Club adviser. ``They can practice some of the things they learned in the classrooms. It's a lot of hard work, but they find that hard work is a lot of fun.'' The school boasts many of the common clubs on campus, including the Art Club, Key Club, Speech and Debate, Drama, Choral cho·ral adj. 1. Of or relating to a chorus or choir. 2. Performed or written for performance by a chorus. [Medieval Latin chor Music, and Pep Squad A pep squad is a group of students, typically girls, who cheer during school events. Pep squads are found in in high schools, middle schools and sometimes, elementary schools. The pep squad's main duty is to promote school spirit. . It also has a Christian Club, Nosotros, and several honors clubs, including math and languages. And Simi Valley has very specialized clubs such as the Rowdy Club, a group that wears school colors on game day and cheers from the stands, and Club of 2002, for sophomores. ``It's a way to meet new people, show the community that kids these days aren't here to be bad; we're here to take school seriously but also to enjoy it,'' said Brittany Emmerling, 16, vice president of the Club of 2002. ``Once we show (other students) that we can get involved and have fun, they're going to want to do it too,'' she said. ``Most people think that just geeks get involved. But we're not geeks.'' Advisers and club leaders said that the rush event helps raise interest in the organizations, but few of those who sign up actually become active members. ``It all depends on how dedicated you are,'' said David Hampton David Hampton (1964-2003) was an African-American con artist who gained infamy in the 1980s after bilking a group of wealthy Manhattanites out of thousands of dollars by convincing them he was Sidney Poitier's son. , 15, who signed up for three clubs during rush. ``Some might sign up just because their friends belong. They might do it, not for the club, but to just be with their friends.'' Sharon Crane, drama teacher and club adviser, said the group has added activities to its schedule - such as the improvisation improvisation Creation of music in real time. Improvisation usually involves some preparation beforehand, particularly when there is more than one performer. Despite the central place of notated music in the Western tradition, improvisation has often played a role, from the team ComedySportz and the Thespian Society - that she hopes will spur participation. She said the club is made up not only of students who are interested in performing, but also those who like to hang around performers. Many of them eventually find their own voices. ``We see kids where they join as freshmen, and you'd think they'd never get involved because they are so shy,'' Crane said. ``But by the time they are seniors, they end up shining like crazy.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO ( 1 -- 2 -- color) Allison Sweeney, above left, and Lauren Neel vote for seniors during Club Rush Day at their school. At right, Andrew Swanson demonstrates the art of ComedySportz to students. (3) Simi Valley High School sophomores Chris Council, left, and Joey Garcia Joey Garcia (1900-1973) received the Max Planck medal, an award for extraordinary achievements in theoretical physics, for his work in 1963. laugh at the Drama Club's improv A multidimensional Windows spreadsheet from Lotus that allows for easy switching to different views of the data. Data are referenced by name as in a database, rather than the typical spreadsheet row and column coordinates. Improv was originally developed for the NeXt computer. antics for students considering joining up. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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