Clubs

Mitty offers many extracurricular activities for its students.  There are over 25 active clubs on campus throughout the year.  These clubs usually meet before, after, or during school. Students may organize additional clubs by recruiting a moderator, enlisting a roster of members, and receiving approval from the Director of Student Activities. The current list of clubs on campus are as following:

AASU (African American Student Union)	Creative Student Association	LASU (Latin American Student Union)	NHS (National Honor Society)	Scrapbooking Club
Anime	French Club	Math Club	Portuguese Club	Self Defense Club
APISU (Asian Pacific Islander Student Union)	Guitar Club	Math Team	Robotics	Ski and Snowboarding Club
Contemporary Health Issues	Irish American Club	Mock Trial	SASA (South Asian Student Association)	Ultimate Frisbee Club
CSF (California Scholastic Federation)	Italian Club	Mountain Biking Club	Science Fiction Club

AASU – AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT UNION

Mr. Greg Walker

Are you interested in learning more about the African American experience here at Archbishop Mitty High School?
If so, then AASU is just for you. 

The purpose of the AASU is to help students identify, explore, embrace, and understand issues surrounding the African American community and increase the comfort level of those students here at Archbishop Mitty.

The activities planned are done so with the following objectives in mind:

• Students at the forefront
• Increased awareness of issues surrounding the African Americans today
• Becoming involved in the greater African American community
• Bringing the African American experience to Archbishop Mitty
• Exposing members to opportunities after Archbishop Mitty
• Allow members to learn & have fun at the same time

Scheduled activities include the 3rd Annual Silicon Valley E-RACE Racism run, Black College Expo, college campus tours in the Spring, and possibly a group trip on the Freedom Train in January.  The Dream Alive Program (surrounding the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King) will be put on by the AASU along with Student Activities in January.

Bring you ideas, passion, and energy to a club that embraces to culture of the African American student.

ANIME CLUB

Mr. Kevin Brazelton

Do you enjoy watching Japanese animation?  Do you love Sailor Moon, One Piece, Yakitate!! Japan, or The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya?  Well, then this club is for you.  We get together every few Fridays to watch a different Anime.  Also, we eat some fantastic food, such as ramen, bread, chips, and other delicious treats.  Do you like drawing anime?  Well, so do some of our members.  You can share your most excellent drawings with others!  Are you interested in Anime Conventions?  Perhaps we’ll get together and attend.  Do you like the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival in Cupertino?  We’ve gone to that in the past.  How about DDR or anime-related video games?  We can set up the equipment and dance, dance or play, play!  Sign up today!

APISU – ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER STUDENT UNION

Ms. Tina Otayco

Are you interested in other cultures?  Are you Asian, do you have Asian friends that you want to get to know better, or has Asia always been a region that has fascinated you?  Then APISU (Asian Pacific Islander Student Union) is the club for you! Our mission is to provide an Asian American, Multicultural Experience to our club members.  Like a mosaic or a quilt, Asian Culture is made up of many different ethnic groups that all come under the title “Asian American.”  Our club will celebrate our cultural differences while also finding similarities that unite all of us together.
So if you would like to:Taste and try unique cuisines from all over Asia

• Come to an understanding of one’s own cultural uniqueness while learning about other cultures
• Possible events centered around Asian Culture: potlucks/picnics, Asia Day, movie days...

Then sign up now!!

CREATIVE STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Ms. Katie Frise

Do you enjoy painting, drawing, or simply doodling?
Maybe you just want to learn more about artistic creativity…
Then the Creative Student Association is for you!
The Creative Student Association is Mitty's very own visual arts club. In CSA, we strive to unite creative students in their love of art. During the course of the year, we conduct many organized activities in which students have full creative freedom. Ranging from learning and applying the styles of artists like Jackson Pollock, to making valentines, club members engage in a variety of after school events; we've even had a day dedicated entirely to finger-painting. In addition to our on-campus activities, members of CSA have the opportunity to go on various field trips, as well. Last year, we toured the San Jose Museum of Art. This year, we are hoping to tour other museums in the Bay Area, check out Christmas in the Park, and do many other activities within the club. We are always looking for new, friendly faces to join.

FRENCH CLUB

Ms. Sue Thompson

The French club is for students of French heritage, students of the French language, or any student who is interested in French culture or language.  It is not necessary to speak or study French to be in the French Club.

Our club enjoys a variety of activities including:
Trips to museums, films (in the theatre and after school), hikes, picnics, dinner or lunch in a restaurant, Mardi Gras parties, bowling, and potluck dinners with French food that YOU have prepared.  We take every opportunity to enjoy good food and good friends!  We would love to hear your ideas for events that you would like to experience.  We invite you to come be a part of our community. 

IRISH-AMERICAN CLUB

Ms. Teresa McCabe

Hey All. I would like to introduce you to the new hot club on campus, The Irish American Club. Along with being one of the biggest clubs on campus we are also one of the most active. We constantly strive to both learn about Ireland and have a great time doing it. With tons of unique upcoming events, there has never been a better time to join. It doesn’t matter what nationality you are so long as you come to the meetings with a great attitude. There are hundreds of ways to get involved at Mitty but there is none quite like the Irish American Club.

LASU – LATIN AMERICAN STUDENT UNION

Mr. Anthony Rojo

The purpose of the Latin American Student Union is to provide a network of support, socially, spiritually, and academically, to the Latino students at AMHS. We strive to educate and celebrate the Latino culture amongst ourselves and with the larger Mitty community. Some of the events we have planned for this year include: Raza Days at a couple of different colleges; Day of the Dead Altar set-up in October; a potluck and retreat during October; Latino Day in the Spring; a Liturgy in December; preparation of food for migrant workers during the Fall and Spring semesters; and several different cultural events such as attending plays and visiting museums.  We welcome all Mitty students, regardless of ethnic background, to join us.

MATH CLUB

Ms. Janet Gawbill

The Math Club welcomes anyone who is taking math during the school year to compete in a math contest each month from October to March.   These tests are taken all over the state of California on the same day and the top five scores will be recorded and submitted to the California Math League.    The exams will test your knowledge in a variety of problems from Algebra through Algebra II and Pre-calculus.  The tests are on Tuesday mornings at 7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. in the Theater.  Watch for the flyer in your math classrooms.  Many teachers give extra credit for problems you get correct on the tests.  Come and test your knowledge this year. 
Each year we also participate in the Annual American Mathematics Competition in February with our top sophomore, juniors and seniors.  This is a contest that is conducted throughout the country to promote excellence in mathematics.   Come and test your ability to problem solve!!
The dates of contests are: October 23, January 15, November 20, February 12, December 11, and March 18.

MATH TEAM

Mr. Ron Nicoletti

Enjoy Saturday mornings with friends brainstorming over unique solutions to very creative math problems.
Pigeonhole Theory      Complex Numbers       De Moivre’s Theorem

The Archbishop Mitty Math Team covers topics very rarely seen in the classroom. Problem solving techniques are emphasized and a variety of competitions are attended.
Ceva’s Theorem      Binomial Theorem    Logical Reasoning     Hyperbolics

See Mr. Nicoletti to be part of this dynamic and fun group of students.

MOCK TRIAL

Ms. Ann Nowell

Mock Trial is a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the criminal justice system through the eyes of an attorney or a witness.

The tryout will be based on what part you are interested in.  There will be a specific script that you will need to memorize if you are trying out for a witness part.  There will be a specific handout going over what you will need to create and practice, and memorize if you are going to be trying out for an attorney.

I truly know that many of you have numerous activities with which you are involved.  Unfortunately, some of these activities directly conflict with Mock Trial.  For the 2007 – 2008 Mock Trial season, if you are involved in the following activities, unfortunately you cannot participate on the team. (Look below at the list.)

If you are chosen on the team, the schedule is quite extensive.  We begin in mid October and go through February.  There will be a few Saturday practices before Christmas.  There will be a practice on the last day of first semester finals and one on the day before we return to school after Christmas vacation.  The weekend of Martin Luther King’s birthday, there is either an invitational meet on the Saturday or Sunday.  That is mandatory.  There will be a day dress rehearsal the Saturday before competition begins.  This is also mandatory. 

1. Winter Sports
2. Spring Sports (The season could go into March if we win or are the alternate to the State Championship)
3. A fall sport that goes past November (exception if goes to State, may tryout for witness and be doubled cast)
4. MICAH
5. Yearbook
6. Class Representative
7. Trying out to be in Monarch Madness - the quarter, semi, and final rounds may conflict with the Monarch madness practices and with the actual night of class competition.(Now it seems that Monarch madness is a week later.  So if I have a meeting and it interferes with the schedule, you will need to drop Monarch madness.)
8. Having difficulty getting to practice on time and staying until the end – sometimes, that may be as late as 5:30.  Meetings will begin precisely at 3 p.m.
9. I will not be providing rides from school to the event.  You will need to get yourself to the Santa Clara County Court House at the time designated by me. 
10. Monies in the amount of $15 for attorney gifts and $15 for the lunch at the Invitational will be collected.  Once the team is established, various permission slips and reminders for the monies will be distributed and collected within THE FIRST MONTH OF PRACTICES.  NO EXCEPTIONS!

In addition, spots are limited and past participation does not guarantee participating for the upcoming school year.

MOUNTAIN BIKING CLUB

Mr. Bill Abb

The goal of the Mountain Biking Club is to explore the trails of Santa Clara County. The rides are designed to allow members to relax from the stress of their lives. Mountain biking skills will be taught at each outing.
Various Locations: Almaden Quicksilver Park, Saratoga Gap, Fremont Older Park

PORTUGUESE CLUB

Ms. Katherine Boucher

The purpose of the Portuguese Club is to develop our experience of the amazing Portuguese culture. In this club, we will go on field trips to soccer games and multiple Portuguese festivities, including the Holy Ghost Festival and the Sao Joao Festival. We will also visit Portuguese communities throughout the Bay Area. Club members will give back to the community by volunteering at Portuguese events and societies. We will have fun while experiencing a new culture. All are welcome and encouraged to join!

RADIO/PODCAST CLUB

Mr. Larry McAdams

Our goal in the Podcasting Club is to expose students to new forms of communication and entertainment.  In today’s world, people have never had so many tools and opportunities to communicate.  We plan on taking advantage of that by using one of the most innovative tools, Internet Podcasting, to expose our peers to current events, music, and other significant cultural events that might otherwise have flown under the radar.  We meet regularly in the Mitty computer lab to create impromptu talk and music “shows” and post them to the Internet using Garageband and iLife software.  We are about awareness… and fun.

ROBOTICS

Mr. Chris Fairley

Mitty Robotics is an after-school club established in 2003-2004. The primary focus for the club is to participate in FIRST Robotics Competition. These are exciting international competitions that bring together professionals and students to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way. We have six weeks to develop a strategy and to design, build, program, and test a 130-pound robot that will join an alliance with other teams to compete in high-tech sporting style events. In previous regional competitions, we have received numerous awards, including most recently the Johnson and Johnson Team Sportsmanship Award. It is the goal of our moderator, advisors, and mentors to teach students lifelong lessons as they grow up in today’s high-tech oriented work force. Our team is looking for students for this year’s team!!
Student positions open in all areas: Mechanical engineering and fabrication, AutoCAD design (we use AutoDesk Inventor), Hardware programming, Website design and 3D studio Max and Marketing and PR.

SASA – SOUTH ASIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Ms. Theresa Hannon

The main goal of the South Asian Student Association (SASA) is to spread awareness of the South Asian Culture throughout Mitty. Every year, the number of South Asian students at Mitty increases, and this club is a good way to diversify their high school experience. Hopefully, students can expand their social circle with students of a common interest through various events planned for the year. This club isn’t limited to the South Asian students. It is very welcoming to students of various backgrounds that wish to simply see new faces and discover new cultures. Mitty is a very sociable and high-paced environment. This club is just one of the ways to become involved in the Mitty community.

SCRAPBOOK CLUB

Ms. Sue Thompson

The Scrapbook Club is a fun community of students who enjoy putting their memories on paper.  Whether you have ever made a scrapbook or not, you are welcome to join our group.  We have some materials to share and we would be happy to help you get started.  We enjoy sharing our creative endeavors, our time, and our friendship.  Scrapping sessions usually happen after school or on Saturday mornings, and this year we are looking at a weekend away to scrap all day!!!  Come join the fun.

SELF-DEFENSE CLUB

Mr. Anthony Rojo

The self-defense club is a place where students can learn how to defend themselves against someone in a physical conflict. Students learn from Mr. Rojo how to strike in different ways, defend against different strikes, and to defend against different attacks. Students learn how to defend from numerous different types of attacks that students may see on the street. The club prepares students for real life conflict, so if it may happen to a student, he or she may be ready to protect him or herself. We not only teach self-defense moves, but the club also prepares students for a fight that forces students to use their hands and feet. The club shows how to effectively throw strikes if it may be punches, kicks, elbows, knees, or much more. We go over drills that help students build the muscle memory to be able to react in a real conflict. To put students’ skills to the test, we have controlled sparring that allows students to see an opponent come at them so they can react and strike back. To do everything mentioned above, students have to have good physical strength and stamina. To help students build and improve both, the club has a workout that is for the first half of every club meeting. These workouts not only test your strength but also mentally question how far you can push your body. The club is very well rounded in what you can learn, and everyone that participates creates strong friendships and expands their martial arts experience.

ULTIMATE FRISBEE CLUB

Mr. Derek Korbel

The Ultimate Frisbee Club provides an opportunity for AMHS students of all skill levels to participate in the fast and competitive game of Ultimate Frisbee.  Official club games are scheduled for various Friday afternoons throughout the school year at John Mise Park.  The Ultimate Frisbee Club also hosts off-campus trips to Disc Golf courses in the Bay Area.  In the past, the club has played at the courses at Hellyer Park in San Jose and the DelaVega park in Santa Cruz.  All students with an interest in Frisbee are welcome.