What do dismantling a VHS recorder, upcycling an old school tie and discussing the psychology of Inside Out have in common? They’re all things Trinity students can get involved in this term.
This week’s Activities Fair saw clubs and societies setting out their stalls and encouraging students to come along and try something new.
There are more than 300 activities running before, during and after school each week, covering pretty much every interest imaginable. There’s Mental Health First Aid, Computer Science Club, History Detectives, Transport Club, African Caribbean Club, Knit and Natter, Cartography, Cooking Club, South Asian Society, Girls Choir and Sub Aqua. You can even make a lightsaber.
And if there isn’t a club for something you’re interested in, you can start one.
We caught up with four clubs at the fair to find out what they have planned this term.
Upcycling Club
New Upcycling Club is open to all year groups and is all about taking old clothes and fabric and doing something new with them, from visible mending and darning to turning unwanted textiles into clothes and accessories.
The club already has a stash of donated Trinity ties to work with. First project? Possibly a bag. “That’s sort of the joy of it,” explained the club’s organiser Miss Harris-Wallis, Teacher of Classics. “It depends on what we find.” Friday lunchtimes in the Art Department.
Junior Sketching for Design
Also new this year is Junior Sketching for Design, where students will learn some of the techniques professional designers use to get ideas down on paper.
Starting with basic 3D and isometric sketching, they’ll work up to marker rendering before designing their own product and creating an advertising poster for it. Every Monday lunchtime in the DT Department.
The club is deliberately going back to basics. “A professional designer is going to throw a bit of pencil work on a piece of paper before they start spending hours designing something,” says club leader Mr Townsend, Teacher of DT.
Psychology Society
Sixth Form students are taking the lead at Psychology Society this year, with plans for student talks, quizzes and discussions on subjects they’re interested in.
That could mean exploring mental health through characters such as Riley in Inside Out, or giving a talk connected to an Sixth Form Project or another area of interest.
One of the student organisers said presenting is also a chance to build confidence: “If you don’t do it regularly, it’s a nice way to work on those skills.” Wednesday lunchtime, it is primarily aimed at Sixth Formers, but open to all.
Dismantling Society
Finally, Dismantling Society may have won the prize for the most immediately popular club at the fair. It had twice as many sign-ups as available places and will operate a waiting list and termly rotation.
Waiting to be taken apart are a VHS recorder, a Humax TV box and two laptops, with more unwanted gadgets hopefully on their way.
Sixth Form Physics student Debarun is helping to run the club and has long enjoyed taking things apart himself, from watches to pens.
“I think it’s really fun to take things apart and see what’s actually inside them,” he said. “You can’t see what’s inside something just by using it.”
Which, really, is as good a reason as any to join a club! Wednesday lunchtimes in P2, open to Third Years only.
For the full list of clubs, see here.
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