It’s time to start a new year at Lodi High School, and what better way to commence the year than exploring all of the clubs that our school has to offer! This year, there are so many clubs in which you can participate and you will find that they are all very welcoming, regardless of whether you’ve been in LHS for four years or just moved in recently. Since there are so many options, you may become overwhelmed in deciding which to join. No need to worry; the Rampage has you covered! To aid in your decision, we interviewed each club adviser and gathered all the info you need to know. Take a look at the list below and see which club(s) interests you most. With so many options, it would be just silly to not join at least one!

Book Club

Advisor: Ms. Getrajdman

Book Club meets on Fridays after school in room 135. The students pick a book that they’re interested in reading, fundraise so that everyone can get a copy, and then are given a few weeks to read the book. Once everyone has finished reading, the club has a group discussion about their thoughts on the book. The books they read are generally Young Adult Fiction, but all suggestions are taken into consideration. This club is obviously ideal for students who love reading, but it is also a good club for students who would like to improve their reading skills through relatable literature. Students who are interested in joining can get in touch with the officers, Lillian Maltese and Leyla Durmus, or can contact Ms. Getrajdman.

Debate Society Club

Advisor: Mr. Tuttle

Debate, in general, and competitive debate, in particular, is a challenging activity with full range of benefits to those participating. For every person the experience is a little different, but generally the thrill of competition and the camaraderie of teammates make debate fun. The first meeting for Debate Society will be next Thursday, Sept. 22,  and Mr. Tuttle advises that anyone who is interested can simply show up to a meeting or email him for more information.

Drama Club

Advisor: Mr. Bernice

Assistant: Ms. Zuniga

The Lodi High School Drama Club sounds simple on paper, and it also seems that they don’t have much to do each year. After all, they have “only” two main tasks: to produce a musical and to perform at the Teen Arts Festival. What non-members don’t know, however, is that they are a team … A family … a tiny powerhouse of performers who defy expectations year after year in order to delight, entertain, and bring joy to their audiences. The best part? They are always looking for new members and cannot wait to see what talents you have to offer to our stage.
Their first meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 14. They will be offering workshops on Wednesday nights on acting and performing. Feel free to drop in anytime before auditions in November. Whether you are a singer, dancer, actor, builder, techie, or no experience what so ever, any and all talent levels are welcomed. Mr. Bernice and Miss Zuniga cannot wait to meet all those interested in joining!

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)

Advisor: Ms. Hipkins

The mission of FBLA is to bring business and education together through leadership development programs.  FBLA is a nationally recognized student organization for those who are interested in business and career skills.  Nationally there are over 214,000 high school members and more than 5,250 chapters.  The benefits of being a member include learning leadership skills, business competencies, community responsibilities, and self-confidence

Their meetings are held at 7:40 a.m. and 2:40 p.m. to accommodate sports and early releases.

Dues are $10.00 this year.  As a national organization, they pay dues to both the national and state FBLA.  Dues cost the club $13 but they ask each member to contribute only $10.00.  Being an FBLA member is also a wonderful way for students to receive college scholarships.  A number of colleges including Berkeley College, Johnson and Wales College and The Art Institutes give scholarships to FBLA members.

Gay Straight Alliance

Advisor: Ms. Diaz

The Gay Straight Alliance is a newer club in our school, marking its third year anniversary this school year. It was started by a former student, Kayla Fiscina, during her senior year and ever since then, the club has gotten off to a great start. GSA has been involved in several events throughout the school, some including the Day of Silence and Ally Week. The main goal of GSA is to create a safe space for students of all race, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc. If you are interested in being a member you can contact Presidents Leyla Durmus and Caroline Nowak, or the advisor, Ms. Diaz. Meetings will be scheduled for every Tuesday after school; it would be wonderful to see new faces!

Interact Club

Advisor: Ms. Getrajdman

Interact Club is a group dedicated to performing acts of community service. They run such activities as the Haunted House and the Video Game Tournament, which have both been highly successful. The club meets on Wednesdays about once a month (more often if a major event is coming up) and is a great group for students who love giving back to others. Students who are interested in joining can get in touch with our officers (Sunny Mistry, Caroline Nowak, Lila Reginald, Steven Malki, Ashley Flores, and Jen Mahon), or can contact Ms. Getrajdman.

Jazz Band 

Advisor: Dr. Macri

Jazz band requires that a student must be in band in order to be considered for the wonderful chance at joining this group. Dr. Macri makes the selection as to who gets to be in jazz band and she considers them her best performers. However, don’t let this crush your dreams of joining jazz band! With hard work and determination, Dr. Macri just might choose you to join her and the elite students that take part in it.

Key Club

Advisor: Miss Dizon

The mission of Key Club is to offer students opportunities to provide service, build character, and develop leadership abilities. Throughout the year, they take part in various service projects that raise awareness on important issues as well as give back to the community. A few projects they did last year included collecting food for the Thanksgiving Food Drive, collecting toys for Holiday Toy Drive, and conducting two blood drives. In addition, they teamed up with other clubs in the school and put together care packages for the homeless. One of the best things about Key Club is that anyone can join! Officers are selected by the advisor but membership is open to all students.

Listening Room

Advisor: Mr. Schram

The Listening Room is an after school music appreciation club that allows students to share and experience new genres of music that they may not have been exposed to before. This club is about creating a safe and interactive environment in which they listen to an album every week and as the album is played, they study the lyrics and instrumentation.  After listening to the album, they discuss anything they may have noticed from themes in the lyrics to structure of the album. The club decides the album they listen to by voting the week before. Usually they listen to music that is shared and recommended by members, but occasionally Mr. Schram steps in and tries to direct the club to undiscovered, new areas. So far they have listened to everything from The Beatles to Kendrick Lamar to Miles Davis to System of a Down. Anyone is always welcome to join the club! They meet every Wednesday at 3:30 in Room 136. All they ask is that you listen with open ears and minds.

Marching Band and Color Guard

Advisor: Dr. Macri

If you’ve been to any football games, you’ve seen the marching band performing during halftime. They always put on an amazing performance and you too can join if you’re in the concert band. As of now, it is a bit too late to join since the season has started but no worries, you can join next year! During the end of the summer, marching band members get together and begin preparing for the season. Have no fear, if you’re not in concert band you can be with marching band waving colorful flags and dancing to the beat of the music. LHS has brought back the color guard after going about eight years without them, and Mr. Bernice choreographs the routines. Marching band and color guard work hand in hand and they even went to Disney World in April for competitions. If you’re interested in joining and know that you can dedicate your time to this wonderful group, email or see Dr. Macri for more information.

Math League

Advisor: Mrs. Breitwieser

The Lodi High School math league is comprised of students from all grades. They meet once a month at the high school to take a general knowledge math test that is taken by over 100 schools all across New Jersey on the same day. There are no prerequisites to join. Any student interested in becoming a member can see Mrs. Breitwieser in room 104A or attend the first meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 27.

Mock Trial 

Advisor: Mr. Sera

Mock trial is a club that prepares its members for an interscholastic competition in the Bergen county courthouse. Each school receives the same case, files and all, and must select individuals who will assume the role of attorneys and witnesses. Each week, two schools will face off against one another, with one acting as the Plaintiff/Prosecution and the other acting as the Defense. The following week teams face up against another opponent, but will try the case from the alternative side. This ensures that each school will have the opportunity to serve as the Plaintiff/Prosecution and the Defense for the case, alternating roles for the first two weeks. The third week’s role is a toss up. There is a winner each contest, as decided by real attorneys who are serving as judges for that case.

Members need to be able to remember vital information, think on their feet, and basically be good actors and actresses. As in real court, the most prepared side usually comes out on top, and each member must be responsible for his/her role.

Poetry Club

Advisor: Mr. Morali

Poetry club is a center for students to express themselves creatively. The members get together on Thursdays and share their poetry while the club goes on to analyze and dissect the poetry. Do not let the club name fool you, though! Poetry club is much more than just poems; any piece of writing is appreciated to be shared with the rest of the club. There was a member of poetry club who actually wrote her own novel and shared it throughout the course of the year; isn’t that absolutely amazing?!  If you love writing and wish to write more than just what is offered in the classroom, then poetry club is the place to be.

Respect Crew

Advisors: Mrs. Passano, Ms. Kelly, and Ms. Sciarra

Respect Crew is a club that aims to promote a positive school climate and ensure that all students at LHS feel safe and comfortable to come to school everyday. The president of Respect Crew, Jonah Balagtas, says that the club “Is all about respect” and as it continues to grow, new ideas are always welcomed. Some of their past events that deserve recognition include links of love, which is about spreading love and joy in order to raise the self esteem of students, and fundraisers for pets in need. Students that are interested in joining can email Mrs. Passano, Ms. Sciarra, or Ms. Kelly and they will provide information on when the next meeting is. They encourage all students to come out and join this amazing club and make a difference in LHS.

Rocket Club

Advisor: Mr. Ghobrial

The rocket club is involved with Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC). The challenge this year is to send a raw egg 775 feet and land it safely in 43 seconds. The top 100 teams get to compete in Virginia and the winning team receives scholarship money and has the opportunity to compete in France for the world title. This year marks the eighth year LHS partakes in TARC. The rocket team made it to the top 100 teams nation wide for the fifth time in 2015 where they received 23rd place in the nation.

Science League

Advisor: Mrs. Press

The New Jersey Science League is a competition across the state of NJ.  It consists of four sets of monthly meets starting in January and finishing in April.  Up to four students/subject can compete at each meet.  Lodi competes in Biology I, Biology II, Chemistry I, Chemistry II, Physics, and Environmental Science. Any student who completes three of the four exams through the state receives a certificate of achievement from the Science League; ten percent of these students will be eligible for a plaque which is based upon rank.  In addition, the top two student scores for each subject will be summed and at the end of the season the schools who ranks in the top 10% will be awarded a plaque. Lodi High School, Glen Rock High School, and Fair Lawn High School compete together with each school hosting one of the meets for January, February, and March.  The April competition is taken individually at each respective school. The students who represent Lodi High School are chosen by the teachers of these subjects.  Achievement and dedication are prime factors in the requirements for eligibility.

Well, that’s all folks! Make sure to check out these clubs and venture out into the world in the creative ways that this school offers!