In case anyone thought PAHS did not offer enough extracurriculars, three new clubs have been added recently. The new clubs include after-school activities revolving around chess, E-Sports and the works of Shakespeare. Even though the clubs are new this year, they all have a strong following amongst students, with at least 15 members per club.

The Chess Club is the oldest of the three, as it was formed last school year. Every Monday, members meet in Room 126 to compete in games of chess. Mrs. Donna Skosnick, math teacher, supervises while the club members participate individually.

Not only do students play regular matches of chess, they also play a game known to some as 3D Chess and to others as Raumschach. Senior Christopher Pekarik, club president, introduced the extra-dimensional chess board late last year. The strange mechanics behind a new piece known as a unicorn have attracted several students who would not have played chess otherwise.

“This year we have over 20 members and are looking better than I could have hoped for,” Pekarik said. “This year is the first year we are doing tournaments for Chess Club, and with my graduation, I hope [the other members will] continue to promote the club and become better players themselves.”

Recently, a group of students formed an E-Sports Club in which members both play games casually and compete with one another on skill-based games. Junior John Mason is one of the founding members, and with his friends, he created a group of about 17 people who all gather to play games after school on Fridays.

“I really feel like we started something good for the school that many people can enjoy now and into the future,” Mason said. “I can see us going pretty far [and] maybe even going to local tournaments in the future.”

The club currently holds its meetings in science teacher Mr. Adrian Portland’s room, but the club plans on obtaining a better environment for playing games. The members are also creating different teams for each game and hope to take the club to a competitive level. Mr. Portland, an avid gamer himself, is the adviser of the club along with Mr. Andrew Smink, English teacher.

As an offshoot of the existing Drama Club, the Shakespeare Club was formed to allow members to share their interest in the works of the famous playwright William Shakespeare. Mrs. Maria Malek, English teacher, is the adviser of the club.

“Shakespeare’s language is the epitome of the range of human emotion,” Mrs. Malek said. “To have a club where we celebrate the beauty of that language is an essential part of the academic experience.”

Students involved in the Shakespeare Club have the opportunity to go to competitions to prove themselves as masters of the Bard’s works. The next competition will be held in February, and junior Patrick Moran will be representing the school. Another competition will be available to nine of the other members in March at DeSales University where the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is taking place.

“I was asked by Mrs. Malek last year to go to DeSales [University] for a Shakespeare competition and enjoyed it, so I joined the new club,” junior Logan Spevak said. “We read Shakespeare monologues and sonnets and watch movies based on the plays. My favorite part [is reading] the sonnets because I like poetry. I do enjoy being a part of the club.”

With the inclusion of these new clubs, students have more to do after school than ever, and students who may not have ordinarily joined an extracurricular activity are opening up due to newer clubs pertaining to their interests.