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All students at John Fraser know about the big clubs in the school – SAC, FAC, HOSA, DECA – they’re all clubs we have at least considered applying to at one point. 
Although, looking past these names are other clubs that contribute to the JFSS community in their own impactful ways, yet they are heavily underappreciated! Whether it be because they were created recently or because they aren’t really seen as an interesting club, the effort they put into Fraser’s community deserves more attention. That, dear Fraser students, is the reason I decided to write this piece. Using my own observations and interviews, I’ve highlighted four clubs that may not be as well known, to your attention. 

First up on the list is the Advanced Placement Student Society (APSS), a club that is somewhat well known but is underappreciated for everything they have to offer. After speaking with Nakshatra, who is one of the club's directors, I gained a deep insight into how much time, thought, and dedication goes into the work they do for Fraser’s AP Program! Nakshatra describes APSS as “[A] student-led club that creates community and opportunities for socialization for current and future AP students of John Fraser.” The club works alongside Ms. Monteiro (John Fraser’s AP Coordinator) to host fun events, trips and informative sessions for the student body. Their goal is to share the voices of every AP student at JFSS and represent them in their fun and exciting events. Some examples of this are the AP Socials, which help students unwind and connect with their community as well as the open house which explains what the AP program is and what it offers to possible students. Despite the club having a hand in nearly every event that is part of the AP experience, it often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Many are not aware of who hosts the events, only knowing that they happen at one point, but, it's APSS working behind the scenes to make them happen! Another amazing thing this club does is provide students with volunteering opportunities in events like the grade 8 assessment for the AP program. These opportunities are advertised on the AP google classroom when available, so it's a good idea to join and check if and when they are looking for volunteers. If you are someone interested in helping future AP students understand the program while hosting fun events for our current students, applications for grade 9’s and 10’s to be an APSS director for the next year open in May, so keep an eye out! 
In a high-pressure program heavily focused on academics, APSS reminds us that community still matters and creates spaces where we can collaborate and connect, creating a positive environment in our school. Although its direct involvement in these events can end up overlooked, the impact it has isn't, and is deeply felt by everyone involved. 

    Now, let’s turn our attention to the next underrated club on our list, the club that also hosts many events for the JFSS community. The club I’m talking about is The Visual Arts Club! The club hosts a large variety of creative events on Tuesdays. They provide students with materials they can use to create something fun or meaningful, whether it be keychains, painting, or other art projects! This club not only allows students to experiment with art, but also gives them the opportunity to relax with friends in a casual and comfortable environment. It gives students a chance to focus more on creating rather than having the most perfect product, being a very welcomed break from your typical school assignments. However, beyond just creating art, this time can help students acquire new interests in different mediums and even serve as an outlet for stress during busy and/or demanding school weeks. Whether you’re an experienced artist or someone who hasn’t completed an art piece since fifth grade, everyone is welcomed and encouraged to come, with the club members and directors remaining supportive and judgement free. Even though the club’s events might not be initially noticed amidst all the other activities going on throughout the school, the events they host are always well prepared, entertaining, and worth the time. The Visual Arts Club gives John Fraser students of all skill levels the chance to unwind and spend time with their friends, stepping away from the usual school routine to focus on something more relaxing and enjoyable. If you haven't gotten the chance to experience their events yet, keep an ear out for their announcements and stop by on Tuesday, even if it's for a few minutes. I promise you a lunch filled with fun and creativity!

The third club on my list is Research Society, since it is John Fraser’s very first research focused club! The co-president Tina Zhang tells us “Research is fun with the right materials and guidance!” The club’s main goal is to help the students of John Fraser research more effectively, guiding their members through each step of the process, providing resources, advice and feedback to help conduct their own research. Looking further into this club, it also provides opportunities for its members to publish and share their research, like by preparing its members to participate in the International Research Olympiad and other similar competitions. By competing in these events, students gain experience and recognition for their work, building connections with other experienced youth and possibly even professionals. Even after the competition, the club will help its members publish the research they completed for it, further aiding with experience. By joining Research Society, you will not only develop skills that can aid you in high school assignments, but also gain expertise to prepare you for the kind of projects expected in university or other post-secondary pathways. Unfortunately, due to the lengthy process it takes to complete an article (which is completely necessary, no complaints here!) it's highly likely the application process for the club will be closed by the time you are reading this. If the Research Society decides to, applications may reopen for the second semester. However, research is incredibly time consuming, so this might not be possible. Regardless, this is definitely a club to remember for next year or in a couple of months when the next semester rolls around, just to check if they did open applications again, especially if you are someone who is passionate and interested in publishing research.  
    By helping students grow and advertise their research skills outside of the classroom, the Research Society contributes to the learning ethic at John Fraser. Even though the club doesn’t create huge events, the skills and experience it provides for its members allows them to grow, explore, and gain confidence, for both the present and future. 

 The final club I will be sharing to you all is Spoken Word, another club that has just begun its career this year. According to Yaana, the club’s president, “[S]poken word club is the perfect extracurricular for everyone!” This club explores and discusses literature in all its forms, whether it's the more typically historical speech or things like song lyrics. Members of Spoken Word do not only analyze, but also have the opportunity to write and perform their own amongst their peers. The club's main goal is to foster free speech, create a space for interesting conversations. Students get the chance to share their ideas with like-minded peers, listen to others, and engage in meaningful discussion about topics. In addition, it plans to increase the prominence of literary arts based clubs/activities in our school, exemplifying the importance of the subject. Yaana describes the club as providing a place for those who love to talk and listen, something not offered by any other clubs at John Fraser. It’s an environment where students who might not have had a comfortable place to express themselves share their ideas in an atmosphere that values their opinions. Spoken work is in a similar situation to Research Society, both being new and possibly a bit obscure to look for. As I had mentioned before, applications for this club are most likely closed, but it is possible for them to open for second semester applicants. If not, keep an eye out next year!
Spoken word is a club that focuses on creating discussion and products equally, something deeply unexplored by other clubs at JFSS. By combining creativity, collaboration, and analysis, Spoken Word plans to become a community where students' words are not only spoken, but are heard. 

Altogether, these clubs show how diverse the community and opportunities at John Fraser really are. Whether it's through events, creativity, research, or discussion, students are given the ability to connect, learn and share with one another. If any of these clubs piqued your interest, I would recommend following them on Instagram to see more information. My goal with this article isn’t for you to completely reject the big name clubs at our school, but to propose you explore the more underrated and underappreciated events and clubs that interest you specifically! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this piece, and I hope you learned something fun and exciting from it!