From pirates to ‘Family Guy,’ clubs bring students together
SAMOHI — The Simple Minds weren’t playing their hit song “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” There was no kleptomaniac shaking dandruff out of her hair, nor a rebel and rich girl tongue wrestling in the janitor’s closet.
The Santa Monica High School version of The Breakfast Club is a far cry from the movie, in which five high school students — all from different walks of life — befriend one another during Saturday detention.
The Breakfast Club at Samohi is about just that — breakfast, though its meetings are held during lunchtime every Wednesday, not detention, and not in the morning.
It’s a gathering of students who have a passion for breakfast and good company, and of course, the John Hughes film.
Santa Monica High School is home to around 90 student clubs that range from the usual local chapters of national organizations, like the Key Club; to ethnic groups, like the Muslim Student Association; to the quirky, like the South Park Club.
It’s Wednesday and lunchtime officially begins. Club founder and Junior Alec Richker starts the meeting and asks for another member to second the motion.
“I second the motion,” one student says. “Also, please pass me a bowl.”
The students begin talking about their plans for Club Day, an exhibition day coming up in the next few weeks, and what kind of breakfast to serve at the event. The conversation shifts around as students mention the Kevin Federline-Britney Spears breakup, how “awesome” the “Breakfast Club” movie is, and what citizens of other countries eat for breakfast.
The Japanese eat fish and salad for breakfast, said Julia Seelhozer, a junior, citing one example.
The students are eating cereal and bread, getting creative with the ingredients.
“Oh my god! That is so gross!” screams Seeholzer during Wednesday’s meeting, when she sees her friend create a Cap’n Crunch cereal and sugar sandwich.
“It’s really gross,” replies Junior Ananya Kepper, speaking to her friend with a mouthful of her Cap’n creation.
Richker started the club earlier this year after the idea came to him one night when “The Breakfast Club” aired on television.
“I decided it would be a funny name to have for a club and would be a fun way to meet friends,” Richker said.
The club is among 80-100 new clubs that form every year at Samohi. The requirements to start a new club are fairly simple — it must have at least 15 members, a teacher needs to volunteer to advise the club, the club must have a set meeting time and location, the club members must perform 20 hours of community service together, and the club must host at least four events during the school year.
Clubs give students the opportunity to take an active part in a large campus that has more than 3,000 students, creating a community within a community.
Samohi is considered unique among area public high schools in terms of its long and interesting list of clubs, said Activities Director Cathy Marsh.
“The clubs are reflective of what the students are interested in,” Marsh said.
For example, the newly formed Ninja vs.
Pirates Club represents an interest its members have in ninjas and pirates, and who would win in a showdown.
The answer is the ninja, according to Club President Ardi Salam, a junior.
The club originally started as the Ninja Club and remained so until another friend recommended adding the pirate as a rival. There were also talks of adding the viking to the list, but members decided to focus on the rivalry between ninja and pirates.
With 20 members strong, the club meets every Tuesday at lunch to discuss all things ninja and pirates, and imagine who would come out the victor during a fight between the two. The students watch videos documenting the history of ninja and pirates.
Sometimes, they produce their own ninja vs. pirate skit.
“There is nothing a pirate can do that a ninja can’t,” Salam argued. “The ninja has been training since they were a child. They’re constantly learning and have spiritual powers within them.”
Following the latest episodes of the animated comedy “Family Guy” is the Family Guy Club, which meets every Tuesday at lunch. The club was formed by Alex McRitchie, who came to Samohi as a freshman from Pilgrim Lutheran School of Santa Monica, knowing only three people in the entire school.
Befriending more students by the beginning of his sophomore year, McRitchie, now a junior, decided to start the Family Guy Club.
“I thought Family Guy was a great way to meet people,” he said. “It’s a great way for people who are a little shy or don’t know how to meet other people to get together.”
The club started out with 10 members and now has about 14 meeting every Tuesday to watch the latest episode during lunch.
Though it may be a great place to make friends, it’s not the best place to meet a girl.
“It’s mostly guys,” he said. “Which is sort of an obstacle to overcome.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 9, 2006. Read the original PDF.