In a small school like Palestine High School people would assume that there is not much to do, but that is not the truth.  The high school has many clubs, including Drama Club, Pay It Forward,  History Club, and Art Club.

Of these clubs, Drama Club is the only club that has had its first meeting this year, although the other clubs will meet next week.  During Drama Club’s first meeting, students signed up for concessions for the September 7th home football game and for the planning committee of this year’s Haunted House. Each year the Drama Club goes on a trip to either the Fox Theatre in St. Louis or Beef and Boards in Indianapolis.  To go on the trip students have to have participated in two or more activities for Drama Club. Some of these include the Haunted House, acting or working backstage for the fall and spring plays, concessions, or working the parking lot during the Wine and Arts Festival in October.  “Drama Club is really fun to do and the after parties are the best part about it,” says senior Dallas Kidwell. At the next Drama Club meeting, on September 11, during lunch, students will elect a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary of Drama Club. The Haunted House Committee will have its first meeting during lunch on September 7. Any students who didn’t make it to the meeting should talk to Mrs. Hyde if they want to help with the Haunted House or be involved in any other way with Drama Club.

Pay it Forward is the volunteer club at PHS.  Pay it Forward is having their first meeting on Thursday, September 6th during lunch in Mrs. Hyde’s room.  Some of the activities that Pay it Forward have done in the past are volunteer at the Food Pantry in Palestine, help residents of a local nursing home make Valentines, raise money for various charity organizations, collect food items for the food pantry, raise awareness for homelessness,  and make Valentines for overseas troops. Their goal is to have a monthly project and to let members know about other available opportunities for volunteer work in our area. The sponsor of Pay it Forward is Mrs. Hyde, and the club is being led by two students, Kelsey Lanham and Carson Fritchie.  Students who have questions about the club should speak to any of them.

History Club is the another popular club at PHS.  To be in History Club students must be a junior or senior with a 3.0 GPA or higher and love history.  Ms. Cutright is the sponsor of History Club. The club organizes and presents the community’s annual Veteran’s Day program held at PHS.  The most popular activity of the club, though, is the annual trip students in History Club take each summer with Ms. Cutright. In past years, the club has traveled to Washington, D.C., Boston, and Hawaii.  Next summer, they plan to travel to the Grand Canyon.  Students participate in fundraising activities throughout the year to make these trips affordable.  The first History Club meeting will take place Wednesday, September 5th during lunch in Ms. Cutright’s room.

A new club that has started just this year is the Art Club.  At their first meeting on August 29th, sponsor Kaylee Wartsbaugh told students about upcoming projects she has planned for club members, including painting murals in both the grade school and the high school.  The Art Club will meet every Tuesday and Thursday right after school until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday meetings will take place at the high school while Thursday meetings will take place at the grade school. Any student interested in joining should talk to Ms. Wartsbaugh.