Whether by sharing a meal, or laughing over a game of card game Uno, students in the Culture Club at Clarence High School are connecting with their fellow classmates and building new friendships.

Simi Kaur, a junior, said she grew up in New York City, and moved to western New York while in middle school. She said it initially felt odd to not see as many backgrounds as she was used to seeing, but said the club, which started this past spring, gave her a chance to meet new people.

“This helped me see there’s more people here,” Simi said. 

Sitting next to Simi playing Uno was her friend, senior Maria Fell, who said the Culture Club was an easier kind of club to become involved with.

“It’s friendly people,” Maria said. 

The club refocused its approach for the new school year to make interactions less formal, with student interactions coming by way of icebreakers as simple as talking about their weekend. 

“It’s a sense of community, and just being able to be around peers in a comfortable environment where they can be themselves,” said Caitlin Owen, an English as a New Language teacher in the high school. “They can get to know new people they might not meet during their school day.” 

In addition to the informal discussions, the club also hosts monthly meals where students are able to share favorite family dishes. One hit at a recent meal was biryani, a South Asian rice dish.

“It’s an opportunity to educate in a more organic way,” said Evan Vahratian, coordinator of the Clarence Family Support Center. “It just comes up in conversation.”

More information about the Clarence Family Support Center can be found at https://sites.google.com/clarenceschools.org/family-support-center/home?authuser=0.