![Hosting the SCLA Casptone Mentor Dinner outside allowed for more attendees on September 27, 2021 at Silver Creek. This event would’ve usually been held inside. According to Lauren Kohn, a SCLA 12 teacher, “If we have a higher number of people, as long as we can host the event outside, then that seems to be keeping every[one] safe”.](https://schsnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sxMAIGbSYGodZkqmrvTi5YWcJ1ssWA08ApkeMLpp-900x675.jpeg)
It’s Friday, after school, and a few students enter a lively classroom, filled with smiling faces. While other students are off campus starting their weekend, these students are learning about all types of cultures, how they are celebrated, and finding their own small community. The International Club at Silver Creek High School is the place where many students get the opportunity to learn about the many enriching cultures around the world.
International Club is its own small community. Gina Cianciola, host of International Club and Spanish teacher at Silver Creek High School, thought of creating a club dedicated to giving kids a chance to learn more about themselves and others inside the classroom.
“There are groups of people that come in for specific things,” Cianciola said. “At the beginning of the year we always do a lot for Hispanic Heritage month, so a lot of our Latino students are coming for that, or people who just want to learn about it.”
Joining International Club has given kids more confidence, as well as improvement in social skills.
”It’s helped people who are quiet to really grow their friend group, really develop their confidence, and help their public speaking skills,” Cianciola said.
Student and co-host of International Club, Devin Branson, explains how being in International Club can help connect students to other people who they might not have ever met within the school. International Club is big because of all the different groups of people within it.
“It allows for expansion of people that you may have never met due to very different lifestyles,” Branson said. “The next day you see each other in the hallway and wave at each other. It’s just a good way to be friends.”
Another student in the club, Liz Rush, has been attending since freshman year, and has made friends she never would have thought she would have.
“I would have never met Devin or Elsa if I hadn’t come here,” Rush said. “It brings us together in a way that you wouldn’t necessarily expect.”
Many students feel that going to a small club every couple weeks can create friendships and give kids the chance to branch out and try new things, learn new things, make new friends, and get involved in more school activities.
“It’s like all of these different groups of people who come together and have a common cause or interest,” Cianciola said. “It’s reflective of what we are, what we do.”
Going to International Club isn’t just for kids wanting to learn about other cultures, though that is a big part of it. It also can be for new students from other places or countries who are new to the school and are looking for a place to make friends and get to know people in school.
“Some people used to come and they were really quiet … and now they’ve made a larger group of friends, and they’re talking more,” Cianciola said. “They just wanted to come and participate … and they’ve since made presentations to share about their culture.”
Going to a club like International Club can help people with their skills, giving them opportunities to make friends they might not have ever connected with, learn all about different cultures while celebrating them, help people get comfortable with a new environment, and many more things one might not expect.
If you’re interested, International Club is held in room E110 every other Friday.
