The Persian Club is a popular group that is rapidly growing. Led by president junior Rozhin Fadae, the club focuses on teaching Persian culture to students, spreading awareness of the culture and fundraising.
This club meets every other week in the library. This is the first year that the club is running. They have elected board officers: Fadae, vice presidents juniors Nazanin Taheri and Kat Jackson and the secretary junior Zara Denison. Club members enjoy attending meetings. “Whether it is learning about a different part of the culture, or just learning new Persian words, going to meetings is always fun and enjoyable,” junior Connor Koch said.
This club has a practice of learning a new Persian word every meeting. The practice begins the meeting and gets people involved by learning how to pronounce the word.
This club is fast growing with almost 50 students. Fadae created the club to spread awareness of the Persian culture. “Not many students know anything about the Persian culture, and I want that to change,” she said.
According to Fadae, other cultural clubs are not as welcoming to different races and religions. One thing that this club is known for is letting all races and religions join as an all-inclusive group. This way, more people can gain an understanding of what the Persian culture is.
Students appreciate the diversity. “Even though I’m not Persian, I can still take part in this club and be an active member,” freshman Maya Gottesman said.
The elected officers plan to organize fundraisers at the restaurant Moby Dick, with the proceeds going to providing food for club meetings and to a Persian culture awareness foundation.
Though throughout the school day it can be hard for students to see their friends, this club allows them the opportunity to do so. “I like learning with my friends because sometimes we don’t have any classes together,” Gottesman said.
Students try to attend every meeting because they are passionate about learning and meeting new friends.
Club bonding activities at meetings allow students to meet new people, including those who they usually wouldn’t talk to. One of these activities is speed dating, where students go from person to person, having short conversations with each one.
Students look forward to meeting every two weeks and make sure to fit them into their schedule. At the end of each meeting, they leave with a little bit more knowledge about Persian culture than they had when they walked in.
