Nine new clubs and seven new publications were added to the multitude of Upper Division (UD) extracurricular activities this year. Although I period will not be reinstated until October 26, the founders of new clubs and publications are still reaching out to gain membership. Without the clubs fair, many leaders are sending out mass emails, starting social media pages, and using word-of-mouth to reach the entire student body. 

This year, Amanda Mark (11) founded the Citymeals on Wheels club to help UD students become more educated about hunger problems in New York, an issue that has been exacerbated during COVID-19, and to provide services, such as senior wellness programs and clothing drives. Food insecurity is an important issue, and it has become more dire to support those in need during a pandemic, she said.

The Filmmaking Club is also trying to take advantage of current societal trends, like the rise of TikTok, by providing members with an opportunity to develop and share their film ideas, co-president of the club, Oliver Lewis (11) said. “The rise of media in general is very prevalent in today’s society, especially with video,” he said. The club plans to hold a film festival where club members and film enthusiasts will organize, produce, and submit videos, he said. The winning film will be shown at a UD assembly and the filmmaker will win a prize for their work.

“The more we thought about our idea, the more we realized that this is something Horace Mann could really use,” Giselle Paulson (10) said. Along with Vidhatrie Keetha (10), Paulson has started Saga, a magazine where members brainstorm, write, and edit one short story together.  

Dylan Rem (10), Gavin Song (10), and Morgan Frances Cohen (11) created Mime, a humor publication that aims to make people laugh, Rem said. Mime will include many different styles of humor, from social commentary to surreal humor, he said. They plan to publish once per semester.

Horace Mann Chefs United For the Culture (HMCUFC) aims to bring awareness to the different ethnic communities found within the school, Founder and President Samuel Siegel (10) said. “Food can be used as a doorway to allowing HM students to experience more cultures,” Siegel said. “Without experiencing different cultures, people can become very one-sided in their decision making,” he said. HMCUFC plans to hold weekly meetings to discuss the importance of cuisines in culture, as well as school wide events including cook-a-longs.

In the spirit of taking action to help others, Ashley Chung (11) and Rowan Mally (11) revived the UNICEF Club to continue providing aid to impoverished children throughout the world. “We are focusing more on raising awareness and building a community aspect of UNICEF,” Chung said. The UNICEF Club plans to meet monthly to discuss and plan initiatives based on themes recognized by UNICEF, she said. 

Crafts for Cancer will knit hats, blankets, scarves, and other crafts that will bring comfort to cancer patients and brighten their lives, Amira Dossani (10) said. Dossani founded Crafts for Cancer with Emma Chan (10). Crafts for Cancer will hold weekly, non-mandatory meetings to give members time to create these crafts. They will also teach students how to knit.   

Another club focused on the medical world is Diagnosis, which will be a “medical publication covering interesting drug trials, diseases and disorders and the greater world of medicine,” Lauren Ho (11) said. Ho is interested in entering the medical field when she is older, and recognizes that this is also applicable for a great percentage of the school, she said. “There isn’t a publication at HM solely dedicated to medicine,” she said. “I want to fill that space.” The club will have monthly publications and attempt to have at least two interviews with physicians each issue. 

Samuel Weidman (11) and Spencer Rosenberg  (11) are reviving The Voyager, a travel magazine, this year. 

 “We want to share the unique experience that every Horace Mann student has,” Spencer Rosenberg (11) said. 

“We want to share our passion of adventure and exploration both outside of New York City, and cool experiences in New York City,” Weidman said. The Voyager, a low-commitment publication, hopes to incorporate a diverse collection of viewpoints that can be relatable to all students, regardless of their exposure to travel.

The Sports Analytic Club aims to expose UD students to the emerging field of sports analytics. “We want to introduce passionate sports fans or passionate mathematicians to the intersection between the two spheres, known as sports analytics.” Jake Federman (12) said. Federman founded Sports Analytics club with Aidan Resnick (12) and Maxwell Resnick (12). They plan to hold bi-weekly meetings to focus on current sport news through different discussions and activities, as well as host guest speakers to talk to the members. 

Other new clubs and publications include HM Talks, Jewish Culture Club, Students for Hong Kong, The Chronicle, CO2MICs, and The Survey. Their general information, including the leaders to contact, can be found in the UD Students Clubs & Publications Directory.