CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Please note that room numbers are based on the 2015-2016 school year and are subject to change.
Academic challenge
Mr. Geschke – C12
Affectionately called "Academically Challenged," MSJ Academic Challenge focuses on various academic competitions including Science Bowl, Ocean Science Bowl, Quiz Bowl, and Science Olympiad. Practices are held weekly to prepare teams for regional and national competitions, as well as to help students learn more about the fields that interest them. This club is great for students who motivate themselves to work with their peers and take their education to the next level.
A.C.E.S (AN AWARENESS CLUB FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES)
MR. VAN DEUSEN – C13
A.C.E.S., an awareness club for endangered species, works to save endangered species around the globe! We spread awareness about the various species and environmental issues and propose possible solutions. We also host frequent fundraisers, in which donations are sent to the World Wildlife Fund, to protect an animal of our choosing. Be the voice for those who have none!
Asian outreach
MS. weed-wolnick – B24
Asian Outreach is a club designed to educate students about the Asian culture. We help students better identify themselves with their native backgrounds and also aid in the progression towards unification of students of different cultural backdrops. In addition, this clubs help foreign students who are new to MSJ and/or United States to better assimilate to the new environment.
CHALLENGE SUCCESS CLUB
MR. LARSEN/MS. GEERS – P8
Challenge Success is a Mission San Jose High School organization with a goal of promoting a more fulfilling high school experience. Through researching potential schedule changes, improving student-teacher communication, and creating events where speakers help students handle stress, we work together as a team of students, parents, faculty, and administrators to try and make Mission less stressful and more engaging. Examples of our past successes are the removal of class rank from high school transcripts, the revised homework policy, the change in school start time, and individual workshops and events at school. Mission statement: Our mission is to advocate for a balanced lifestyle
that fosters integrity, resiliency, and success, which directly correlates to health and happiness.
Chem club
Mrs. Kumar – C18
This club is an activity based club that aims to advance the knowledge of chemistry as well as to show how chemistry can be applied to one's basic life. With many interesting hands on sessions, like crystal making and the usage of invisible ink, this club will definitely combine both science and fun.
CHINESE Culture Club
Ms. Chiu – N4
Our club was founded for the purpose of spreading Chinese culture and philosophies. Many of our modern technologies are invented based on the enlightenment of Chinese Culture. Our club aims to introduce Chinese culture from many aspects, such as clothes, food, history, languages and so on. Our club also provides a unique platform for those people who share Chinese heritages and are interested in Chinese culture to make friends and enrich knowledge.
COR DANCE CLUB
MS. Randazzo – Gym
COR Dance Club strives to teach various styles of dance to MSJ's student body. Our goal is to create a fun and safe environment for dancers of all levels of experience. We also promote dance as a way for MSJ students to express themselves and their abilities through lunch workshops and school performances!
deca
mr. robinson – b18
DECA is a business club that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in the fields of marketing, finance, hospitality, and management through regional level, state level, and international level career development conferences in which students have the opportunity to create real business plans and compete with each other, enhancing public speaking skills, teamwork, and flexibility.
EN PASSANT
MR. flores – C17
En Passant is the MSJ chess club. We meet on Mondays and teach students chess skills. We also hold tournaments from time to time.
Film and production club
mr. richards – b33
Hi! MSJ Film Club is dedicated to increasing the awareness of film on this campus. Whether it’s acting, cinematography, directing, or editing we have the spot for you. Our officers are highly experienced Film producers. We welcome anyone of any skill even if you just want to try it out! Meetings in B33, join our facebook group at or email us at .
GO CLUB
MR. Liu – B9
Go is a unique strategy game that originated thousands of years ago in China, where the Emperor and nobles played the game in their free time to sharpen their minds. Today, it is widely played across China, Japan, Korean, and the western world. The goal of Go Club is to introduce and teach members strategies for victory and to inspire appreciation for the beauty and simplicity of go. We participate in numerous tournaments throughout the school year and have historically been the best high school go team in the Bay Area. Come play the Asian game of Go! (On Tuesday lunch in C-2)
LANDCRUIZERS
MR. vierk – n5
Do you want to learn to skateboard or do you already know how to skate and want to chill with other boarders? If this is you, come check out our club for a good time!
LEADERSHIP II
MR. BREAZEALE – N7
Leadership II is the student organization that plans student activities year round ranging from Friday activities to assemblies. Members of L2 serve on committees such as Campus Beautification, Technology, Student-Teacher Relations, Activities Team, Community/Charity Fashion Show, Elections, Homecoming/Multicultural, Publicity, Student Store, Alumni, and Fundraising. Applications are released in the spring and members are selected by their willingness and dedication to serve the school.
LIVERIGHT
MS. LUIKART – N8
LIVERight is a high school chapter of Team HBV, which is the outreach branch of the Stanford Asian Liver Center. LIVERight is dedicated to raising awareness about Hepatitis B, a disease which disproportionately affects Asians and Pacific Islanders worldwide. We encourage people within our local community to get tested and vaccinated for Hepatitis B. LIVERight also offers community service hours at events such as the annual Chinese New Year Festival in San Francisco, as well as opportunities with the Stanford Asian Liver Center.
MEDCORPS
MR. MELCIC– C9
Medcorps is a health service club dedicated to providing opportunities for students to learn, explore, and make a difference in the medical field. We participate in events that support finding cures for conditions such as Sickle Cell, AIDS, and Alzheimer's. Also, we offer internship/volunteer program application help.
MISSION JAPAN
Ms. OKAMURA– N2
Mission Japan explores, promotes, and celebrates traditional and popular Japanese culture. In this club, we focus on learning about Japanese culture through doing a lot of fun activities such as making Japanese food, playing games, watching Japanese videos, and even teaching some basics of the language. No Japanese language experience is required. This club is perfect for anyone interested in Japanese culture, so join us in N2 for lots of fun!
MISSION Korean Music
Ms. GEERS – P8
"You can enjoy music without understanding it. Music is a universal language." -CL (2NE1) Mission Korean Music is a club dedicated to creating a fun and comfortable environment for students to explore Korean pop culture. Come listen to Korean music, watch k-dramas, learn k-pop choreo, and hang out with other Korean music fans!
MISSION SERVICE OVER SELF
MR. CAIN – B16
We are an organization aimed at bettering the community through service projects and leadership.
MISSION Ultimate
MR. Alves – B36
Hold weekly games at Old Mission Park or another agreed park to play on. Along with other meetings/events that will be held on weekdays, usually in B36.
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
MR. MARDEN– GYM
Model United Nations (also Model UN or MUN) is a competitive, academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda through research and debate.
MSJ 3D PRINTING
MR. BRUCKER – B3
MSJ 3D printing club works towards teaching 3D printing and modeling to students. The club holds tutorials for various modeling softwares, such as Autodesk Inventor and Tinkercad. During meetings, we also hold printer demos where we teach students how to use the printer hands on. The MSJ community can order items to be printed by emailing us. In addition, we host an annual hackathon for 3D printing called the Designathon, and we have guest speakers who discuss real life applications of 3d printing. Members can take the Master User test, which allows them to use the printers on their own.
MSJ AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
MRS. EVANS – M3
The American Cancer Society Club plans and holds events to raise money for cancer research. We participate in the annual breast cancer week and we actively participate in Relay for Life and other walks. We offer many volunteer opportunities so come and support the cause!
MSJ AMERICAN RED CROSS
MR. PETERSON –C6
MSJ American Red Cross is a humanitarian service club dedicated to helping people around the world who are in great need from disasters and other harmful changes all around. We offer a unique perspective by propagating both the health and community service aspects of Red Cross.We help those in need through service events as well as raise awareness through leadership seminars and CPR certification trainings. We offer our members community service hours for your participation in assisting us in being a change in the world.
MSJ BEST FRIENDS
MRS. SINGH
MSJ Best Friends is a club that strives to integrate MSJ students into the special needs community and dissolve any stereotypes about special needs kids. We work with the special needs kids on campus, are involved in volunteer programs off-campus, and raise funds to donate to the special needs community.
MSJ Biotechnology
Ms.Tse – P26
MSJ Biotech is dedicated to expose students/members to cutting-edge technology such as 3D bio printing, robotics, and prosthetics. We hope to make this process interactive, with various hands-on experiments, demos, and guest speakers. Shoot us an email at .
MSJ Business
MR. Hui – E5/B32
The Business Club is dedicated to teaching the core principles of business, finance, personal financial literacy, economics, and entrepreneurship. Throughout the year we will explore the world of business through informative presentations, guest speakers, and competitions such as MIT Launch Clubs. We will have occasional meetings every one or two weeks and will stay committed to making sure that members have a comprehensive knowledge of business as a whole. We will make learning the concepts simple and interactive through various games and activities.
MSJ CALIFORNIA SCHOLARSHIP FEDERATION
MR. LIU – B9
MSJ CSF is a nationally recognized academic club for students who receive a 3.5 GPA each semester with a minimum of 3 honors / AP classes. Throughout the year we provide scholarship workshops, alumni and guest speaker seminars, as well as a mentorship program in which our officers provide scholarships and advice to official members based on their grade level. We also base our service events available to our members upon scholarship opportunities open during that time. For more information, please visit our website at .
MSJ CIRCUITRY
MR. SUGDEN – A2
The circuitry club's objective is to introduce students to the art of circuit analysis and how it can be applied to engineering applications. To accomplish its objectives, the club's meetings will include lectures on analysis techniques, presentations of practical applications, various circuitry labs, and guest speakings by representatives from related companies. Outside of school, we will engage in field trips to various museums, such as the Intel Museum in Santa Clara, and the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose.
MSJ COMPUTER SCIENCE CLUB
MR. LAZAR – B8
MSJ Computer Science Club (MSJCS or MSJ Compsci) is a club dedicated to promoting and expanding the interest of computer science of the students at MSJ. We aim to bring the joy and excitement of computer science to everyone through many activities, such as lessons/presentations, competitions, discussions, and field trips. We hope to see you at our club meetings, every Tuesday (and occasionally Fridays) in B8! You may also contact us at !
MSJ CORE (CAREER ORIENTED EDUCATION)
MS. NIGHTENGALE– OFFICE
MSJ CORE stands for Career Oriented Education and is a club designed to help students decide what career pathway they want to pursue after high school. Students often do not know what they would like to do, and CORE addresses this very question. Every quarter, CORE has an introductory PowerPoint, a guest speaker, and either a company tour or a workshop regarding a specific career pathway. This allows members to try out many career pathways to figure out which one they are interested in. Contact Ayush Gaggar via Facebook or email (). See you there!
MSJ CRYPTOGRAPHY CLUB
MS. DOTSON–E1B
MSJ Cryptography is Mission's premier cryptography and steganography club. We are dedicated to promoting interest and participation in cryptography, which is the art and science of concealing information in communication. Join us for guest speakers, competitions, and interactive activities related to cryptographic history and techniques. All are welcome, regardless of their knowledge or skill level. Regular meetings are hosted at room E1B. 73-72-2-16-4-54-18-83-4-9-11.
MSJ CUBING CHALLENGE CLUB
MR. LARSEN – OFFICE
The Club provides a platform to students of all levels to meet and discuss the different cubing algorithms. To swiftly match the six colors on all sides, it requires organizing multiple pieces and forming a solution in the mind while looking ahead for the next steps. This challenges and improves spatial intelligence which is the ability to comprehend three-dimensional images and shapes. All these ultimately ignite interests and improve learning in Math. The goals for the Club are to develop spatial intelligence, discuss algorithmic efficiency, and, most importantly, stimulate student's interest in Math.
MSJ EXIT ZINE
MS. SEPULVADA –N11
MSJ Exit Zine is a feminist zine, or mini magazine, dedicated to providing MSJ students with reliable and accurate information as well as providing personal reflections/submissions from MSJ students.
MSJ FASHION CLUB
MS. LEE – OFFICE
Sponsored by FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Fashion Club is a national high school program whose members have one thing in common—they love fashion!!Meeting at least twice a month at school to participate in activities based on their interests including: fashion shows, workshops and DIYs, fashion trend research, fashion sketching, field trips and fundraisers, guest speakers. There are over 900 clubs across the country, each one of them supported and mentored by FIDM, the premier fashion college on the West Coast, headquartered in Los Angeles!
MSJ GIRL UP
MS. LINDSEY – P6
MSJ Girl Up is a branch of a larger UN organization that works o empower women in third world countries. Through fundraiser and awareness events, we help advocate for change and educate our members about women rights.
MSJ GREEN CLUB
MS. ISHIMINE – C10
Green Club is MSJ’s environmental action club! Our mission to make the world a greener place starts right here at MSJ. Students can help promote environmental awareness through various opportunities, such as helping with Terracycle, installing food scrap bins, cleaning up Fremont’s Tule Ponds, and gardening. Stop by a meeting to learn ways you can start living greener! Our website is msjgreenclub.wordpress.com. Email us at to sign up for our mailing list. Reuse the past, Recycle the present, and Save the future. GO GREEN!
MSJ GSA (GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE)
MS. LA ROSA –P25
The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) is a safe community where LGBTQ+ students and allies can hang out, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, and work to end homophobia and transphobia. Contact us at . Everyone is welcome!
MSJ HISTORY CLUB
MR. JEFFERS– B22
MSJ History Club participates in the annual National History Day competition. Students create a project to enter into one of the following categories: documentaries, exhibits, papers, websites, or performances, and they choose a topic related to the annual theme. Through participating in National History Day, students develop new skills and analyze several different perspectives on a topic before drawing conclusions. There are four different levels of competition: school, regional, state, and nationals. California state champions move on to the national competition in Maryland in June.
MSJ iKNIT
MS. KEARNS – B21
Did you know that knitting and crocheting are scientifically proven to be therapeutic? MSJ iKnit is a club for knitters and crocheters of all skill levels to share their passion with others while giving back to the community through annual charity projects. Members gather to share patterns and designs and have the opportunity to receive community service hours in return for finished projects such as scarves, hats, and baby blankets. No experience is required, and supplies are provided for free by the club!