Note: This article was originally published on Sept. 29, 2022. It has been edited and updated, considering the new clubs of this year.

Central Hardin High School is filled with a variety of wonderful clubs that allow students to express themselves and share their interests. The school takes great pride in the multitude and diversity of the clubs and the benefits they have to offer. Students get to participate and study topics they enjoy learning about and work with others as a team.

There’s a total of 26 clubs that span from politics, cultures, games, religion, and so much more. Listed below are some transcripted interviews with the club sponsors throughout the school where they wish to inform students about their club and how to join.

Art Club

Visual Arts teacher Megan Meredith, sponsor 

What does the club do?- Bruin Art Club is for any student seriously interested in the Visual Arts. This is a student-ran club, so what is done is completely up to the members. Everything will be voted upon, and the majority will rule. Events can include community based projects, field trips, group critiques, event decorating, etc.

Meetings- Meeting the first Friday of every month in room 128 during the second half of PowerHour. After school projects will be announced as they arise.

Dues- Club dues are $15, which pays for trips OR shirts (based on vote).

Should you join?- Students do not have to currently be in an Art class to be in the Bruin Art Club. According to Ms. Meredith, “Students should join the art club because there are more creative opportunities than what is offered within the art classes. We get involved within the school and community. There are also opportunities to travel and to become immersed within the arts; you are surrounded by creatives, which helps foster ideas.”

American Sign Language (ASL) Club

Coordinated by senior Emma Childress, supported by English/Journalism teacher Susan Sherrard

What does the club do?- The ASL club was created to help students at Central Hardin learn sign language. Along with learning the language, students can also implement it in their life by practicing with other club members. Another goal of the club is to make Central Hardin a more inclusive space for people who primarily communicate using sign language.

Meetings- Meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month during the second half of PowerHour in room 112.

Dues- There are no dues.

Should you join?- If you are interested in joining, contact Childress at [email protected]

Beta Club  

English teachers Emily Wortham, Lindsey Corley, and Kayla Ernst, sponsors 

What does the club do?- The National Beta Club is the largest independent, nonprofit, educational youth organization in America. Our mission is to promote the ideals of academic achievement, character, service, and leadership among our students.

Meetings- Third Friday of each month in the library.

Dues- $25, but they were already due.

Should you join?- In order to be eligible for induction, students must have an average of at least 92.

Book Club

Coordinated by sophmore Lindy Barnes, supported by English teacher Rosalie Batistoni

What does the club do?- The book club is a place for people to share books, a common love for reading, and a way to explore new books and build a community.

Meetings- Meet once monthly in room 101 the second half of PowerHour.

Dues- There are no dues.

Should you join?- Anyone who loves reading and sharing new books would be a perfect fit.

Drama Club 

Resource teacher Sarah Ryan Dakin, sponsor 

What does the club do?- The club generally performs one play and one musical at the PAC during the school year, as well as participating in workshops on various aspects of the theatre.

Meetings- Thursdays in room 304 on a as needed basis (Approved by Mr. Isaacs)

Dues- N/A

Should you join?- Drama club is open to any student, with or without previous theater experience, who wishes to act, sing, or dance on stage or do technical work backstage. Any student looking for experience onstage or backstage, with or without prior experience, is encouraged to join.

Earth Club 

Science teacher Tina Cox, sponsor 

What does the club do?- A club for students who care about good stewardship of the Earth and its inhabitants.

Meetings- first official meeting October 8 1st half of PowerHour in room 109

Dues- To be determined.

Educators Rising Club 

FACS teacher Jo Million, sponsor 

What does the club do?- This club helps promote the education field and prepare young teachers for their future careers. High School Students will embrace the calling of teaching as a profession, learn technique and get clinical experience as an accomplished teacher even before college and get recognized as a student leader and an advocate for education.

Meetings- Members will meet the 2nd Friday of each month.

Dues- $20, which includes a t-shirt

Executive Council 

Social Studies teacher James Sisk, sponsor 

What does the club do?- Organization that assists the principal and school in various school and community activities ranging from Open Houses, First Day Schedules, Blood Drives, Talent Shows, or anything else the guidance office or principal needs.

Meetings- Meet on an as needed basis.

Dues- There are no dues.

FBLA 

Business teacher Christopher Greene, sponsor 

What does the club do?- The mission of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs.

Meetings- Meet at least once a month Officers Weekly.

Dues- $25, includes State and National trip and T-shirt.

Should you join?- There are so many reasons to join, from employability, leadership, as well networking with over 200,000 members. We provide competitions, travel opportunities, and even scholarships for students.

FCCLA Club 

FACS teachers Leslie Lewis, Jo Million, and Jeanice Charlton, sponsors

What does the club do?- “We do lots of things related to allowing students to get ready for their future careers. It’s a student-led organization. We just will be working on an activity called The Step One. They will be earning a certificate for their resume recognized by the national organization. We always try to have snacks and food at meetings. We play games and other activities at our meetings. We also have regional meetings. We just got back from a regional meeting at First Christian Church where we met with all the other regional officers and chapter officers learned about their office,” Lewis shared.

Meetings- Meet in room 127 and we meet on the 2nd Friday of every month.

Dues- $20, which also gets you a T-shirt. That makes you a national member and a regional member. Students are still able to join. There isn’t a cut off necessarily.

Should you join?- Lewis said that students must have at least one FACS class to be able to join, but that anyone who is interested in helping their community and being a leader would be a good fit.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

English teacher Paul Gray, sponsor

What does the club do?- “It’s a club that allows students to express their faith. Again, it has the word ‘athletes’ in it, but it’s not just for athletes. It’s for anybody who’s involved in any extracurriculars, but people who want to have a place on campus where they can go express their faith and who they are in that regard. Some of the kinds of things we do include: Bible studies, devotionals, service projects, prayer times,  outside of school activities, and concerts. Again, it’s something where people of faith who want to express that faith everywhere, not just at church, have an opportunity to be together and know other people who have the same belief they do,” Gray said.

Meetings- Meet several times a week.

Dues- There are no dues.

Should you join?- Gray hopes that anyone of faith or anyone who is curious about faith will join and be a part of it.

FFA

Agriculture teachers Adam Sanderson, Rachel Wilson, and Jayna Thompson, sponsors  

What does the club do?- FFA is a youth organization that changes lives and prepares members  premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agriculture education.

Meetings- Meets the 4th Friday of each month in Library.

Dues– $30

Should you join?- Anyone is welcome to join!

French Club 

Foreign Language teacher Christine Wilson, sponsor

What does the club do?- The mission of the French Club is to provide students the opportunity to speak French and explore the language and culture of francophone countries. The French Club seeks to promote the study of foreign languages and the development of multicultural understanding.

Meetings- Meets the second Wednesday of the month during the first half of PowerHour in room 313.

Dues- $5

Should you join- The French Club is open to any student interested in learning more about the French language and culture. You do not have to be in French or speak French to join.

Game Club

Art teacher Antonio Menendez and English teacher Tracy Granger, sponsors

What does the club do?- “The main point behind (Game club) is for kids to meet, interact, do cooperative games together as a group and then they kind of dictate which games they play as far as like… it’s more on the lines of like roleplaying games, like Dungeon and Dragons and miniature games and card games like Magic Gathering and like co-op board games is the gist of it,” Menendez said.

Meetings- The club meets twice a month on the second and fourth Thursday during PowerHour.

Dues- $10 and will be taken up until Fall Break.

Should you join?- Menendez said the club is open to any student who is interested in playing the games listed above or just having a place to meet with other students and hang out.

German Club 

Foreign Language teacher Colleen Higdon, sponsor 

What does the club do?- The goal for the German Club is to promote German cultural awareness by providing educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities to members to enjoy German-related events at Central Hardin.

Meetings- First half of PowerHour on the 1st Wednesday of each month in room 311.

Dues- Club dues are $5.

Should you join?- German club is open to current and past students who have taken German language classes.

Green Dot Club

Youth Services Center Coordinator Brendan Chaney and Youth Services Center Outreach Mandy Sanders, sponsors

What does the club do?- Green Dot was established out of University of Kentucky. This program focuses on preventing power based personal violence: dating violence, sexual violence, bullying, and stalking. A green dot represents any behavior, choice, word, or attitude that promotes safety for all of us and communicates intolerance for any form of violence. The club will work on a variety of projects and activities to promote more “Green Dots” at CHHS.

Meetings- Every other week or monthly in the Youth Services Center during PowerHour.

Dues- There are no dues.

Should you join?- Any student that wants to participate! You can join anytime!

Green Team

Math teacher Megan Pauley, sponsor

What does the club do?- “So really we’re going around the school, we’re recycling any paper people will have, a couple different classrooms have recycling bins in their room and then that’s like one of our main goals is to reduce the paper usage. We’re also making sure that classrooms have their lights turned off, their computers shut down, and that we’re saving electricity wherever we can,” Pauley said.

Meetings- Meetings are held twice a month on Wednesday.

Dues- There are no dues.

Should you join?- Pauley said that she welcomes any students who share a passion for helping the community and the planet.

Pep Club

History teacher Emily Wortham and Administrator Tessa Dumbacher, sponsors

What does the club do?- “So, the purpose of Pep Club or what we’re doing is essentially supporting our student athletes and encouraging them,” Wortham stated.

Meetings- Meetings take place in room 312, first half of PowerHour on Fridays as needed. Meetings will be announced via the google classroom and the announcements. 

Dues- $15 and were already supposed to be turned in, but late dues will still be accepted.

Should you join?- Wortham says that any students who are full of school pride and want to support the school would be a perfect fit for the club.

Spectrum Club 

Science teacher Kimberly Gibson, sponsor 

What does the club do?- An all-inclusive club for students who identify as LGBTQIA+ and their allies. Students will take part in discussions, activism, and community-building activities.

Meetings- Every other Friday during PowerHour in room 425.

Dues- There are no dues.

Should you join?- “Students who should join are anyone who belongs to the LGBTQIA community, anyone who is an ally of that community, and anyone who wants to help our school become more inclusive,” Gibson said.

Speech and Debate Club

Science teacher Jared Eaton, sponsor

What does the club do?- “It’s a competitive club, kind of like a sport, obviously not physical competition like a sport, but in that we go from school to school around the state of Kentucky competing with other schools in public speaking competitions. There are a number of categories that a student can choose from, each student on their own gets to pick the category they want to compete in. Some of the categories involve memorizing a speech that you’ve written ahead of time that you will deliver, some involve coming up with a speech on the fly in a very short amount of time, some involve working with partners, some are comedic, and some are more dramatic,” Eaton explained.

Meetings- Meetings are flexible and depend on students’ availability. Competitions are always on Saturdays, but practices are after school on Tuesdays until 5.

Dues- $100 because every time there is a competition, Eaton has to pay for each student’s registration. Any money left over helps with expenses that are needed during trips.

Should you join?- Eaton said any students who are confident speaking in front of people are obviously very good fits, but people who also want to improve at organizing their thoughts, feeling confident talking in front of people, and anyone who wants to improve their confidence are also a perfect fit.

Student Health Council

Youth Services Center Coordinator Brendan Chaney and Youth Services Center Outreach Mandy Sanders, sponsors

What does the club do?- A group of selected students addressing mental health and well-being of students by creating a positive school environment and organizing activities for the student body. The council focuses on mental health support, coping skills, acts of kindness, community and volunteering.

Meetings- Twice a month in the Youth Services Center during PowerHour.

Dues- There are no dues, just fill out an application in the Youth Services Center.

Should you join?- Anyone is welcome to join!

Teenage Republicans

History teachers Dana Garrett and Rachel Wilson, sponsors

What does the club do?- Created for those who want to serve their community, stay informed and debate about issues in the news, and learn more about the democratic process and Republican Party. We bring in speakers and connect students to networking opportunities with community leaders. This club is for anyone interested in politics, not just Republicans.

Meetings- Third Thursday of each month, will meet in either Garrett’s room (302) or Wilson’s room (106). We will also have morning meetings. 

Dues– N/A

Should you join?- Anyone is welcome to join!

TSA Club 

Engineering teacher Russ Pike, sponsor 

What does the club do?- The Technology Student Association enhances personal development, leadership, and career opportunities in STEM, whereby members apply and integrate these concepts through intracurricular activities, competitions, and related programs. Activities range from various community volunteering experiences to team building activities. Students will have the opportunity to compete in regional competitions and/or the annual KYTSA State Conference in events including 3D CAD modeling, written essays, CO2 Dragsters, Fashion Design, Structural Design, and VEX robotics competitions, just to name a few.

Meetings- 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, first half of PowerHour in room 147.

Dues– $20

Y- Club

History teachers Tyler Vessels and Katherine Graybeal, sponsors

What does the club do?- “Y-club is a student organization. So the goal is to develop engaged citizens and servant leaders to effect change to the community. Our goal is to do 2 or 3 service projects throughout the year. We attend KYA, which is a mock state government, around Thanksgiving. And KUNA, which is a mock United Nations,  is in March,” Vessels said.

Meetings- First half of PowerHour in the library.

Dues- $15, Students were already given a due date, but if someone still wants to join they can.

Should you join?- Vessels said that any students who want to see change in their community or are interested in learning more about how the government operates would enjoy this club.

Yoga Club

Youth Services Center Coordinator Brendan Chaney and Youth Services Center Outreach Mandy Sanders, sponsors

Not yet available, may start in January.

Young Democrats

Math teacher April York, sponsor

What does the club do?- “Young Democrats and Teenage Republicans work together a lot to do some raising awareness of political issues and how to get more involved in the political process. Currently, we have a voter registration drive going on. We always try to do one of those before any chance to vote, so that students know that they can register to vote for the general election or register to vote in the primary. The other activities that we take part in each year are driven by the interests and desires of the club members and are decided on by the officers. One of our goals for this year is to, along with the Tennage Republicans visit Frankfort while the General Assembly is in session to meet with our elected officials.

Meetings- To be determined.

Dues- Dues are $5 for a returning member, $10 for a new member and that includes a T-shirt. New members are welcome to join anytime throughout the year.

Should you join?- York said she encourages any students who share an interest in politics to join the club and make their voice heard.