Clubs and Activities

Asian Student Union (ASU)

The Asian Student Union is a club dedicated to organizing leisure and cultural immersion events in order to celebrate the diversity of Asian cultures in the WT community and beyond.

Black Student Union (BSU)

The Black Student Union discusses various issues that contribute to the black experience, including topics such as black history, activism, and cultural appropriation. The Black Student Union holds events throughout the year that promote equity and celebrate black culture. The BSU also serves as an outlet for Black students and a safe space that celebrates and affirms Blackness.

Desi Student Union (DSU)

The Winchester Thurston Desi Student Union exists to promote and celebrate Desi culture at WT. Through events and other projects, DSU aims to educate the student body in a way that's both enjoyable and educational. The Desi Student Union is continually prepared to broach difficult conversations affecting or surrounding the Desi community and to provide a safe space for those students. The Winchester Thurston Desi Student Union would like to see other organizations flourish, and it endeavors to be the model for student unions every year.

Club Name: Feminist Student Union

Feminist student union strives to empower all people, specifically women, in our community by discussing feminist issues and through hands-on events. FSU is a safe space to talk about our experiences or simply to hang out and chat together.

Gender and Sexuality Student Union (GSSU)

The WT Gender and Sexuality Student Union (GSSU) serves to encourage and celebrate the diverse array of queer voices in our community. We hold casual-style meetings discussing a range of current and cultural topics and host movie and food events (we're not afraid of a classic pizza party!). We stand by our belief that WT is for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression. Allies encouraged!

Jewish Student Union

At JSU we strive to create a safe space for jewish and non jewish students alike to talk about and understand the Jewish religion. At JSU meetings we will discuss the holidays, current events, and play games. 

Latinx Student Union

LSU strives to bring awareness of the latino/hispanic community in our school and city through learning experiences and fun activities! Throughout the year we will plan and host cultural events, informational presentations, and maybe even a few advisory competitions! Latinx student union is open to anyone and everyone, and you don’t have to be latino to join, just interested in learning about the Latinx culture and having fun!

Acapella & Music Club

Do you love music? Do you love singing? Then the Acapella & Music club is a great fit! Not only will you have the opportunity to sing acapella songs, but you will also have the opportunity to share songs you’ve written and/or songs you'd love to discuss! 

Art Club

Art Club aims to create a space for artists at WT to gather, collaborate, share, and create. From hosting workshops to just sharing pieces that we've made, Art Club strives to make sure every artist at WT feels supported, connected, and inspired.

Beartalk (WT podcast)

In partnership with Voices, the newspaper, we produce, record, and edit the Winchester Thurston podcast! We cover all facets of student life, and we’re always open to suggestions about our content. If you’re interested in audio editing, music production, hosting a podcast, or being a correspondent and want to share your work you should definitely join.

Black Buddies

The goal for this club is to provide support for the black students in the Lower School by offering them peer mentors and friends as well as having events to celebrate them and build community throughout the school year.

Book Lovers United (BLU)

Book Lovers United is founded on the belief that reading is important. Just like a traditional book club, we read books and then discuss them, usually while eating snacks & candy. Our meetings are a space for all kinds of readers–from those who struggle to finish a book to those who already consistently read but wish they could further their experience by collaborating with others. Whatever your reading experience may be, we welcome you and encourage you to give BLU a try.

Botany/Mycology Club

Plant produce, building raised beds, greenhouses, community service field trips, collaboration with lower school

Chess Club

Chess Club, social and competitive meetings, where people come together to explore chess games and play chess. 

Children of Steel

The Children Of Steel is a citywide organization that works to provide tutoring to children ages 6-10, as well as doing general community service.

Climate Changers

Climate Changers is a member of the Pittsburgh Youth Climate Council which aims to promote climate action in three tiers: school, community, and local government. We are currently working on passing a climate resolution with the board of trustees, have hosted several trash pickups in the community, and have published an Op-Ed in the Pittsburgh Tribune urging the mayor to take more action on climate change. 

Comedy Club

We want comedy club to be a place for students to express their love for comedy, meetings will consist of dedicated writing days, workshopping material, and just having a fun relaxing time
Cooking Club
It is a fun and relaxed club where we learn to make different foods based on what the club members vote on!

Debate Club

This year, the WT debate team is committed to helping you improve your public speaking and debate skills. We will play several different debate games, public speaking activities and mock debates. Members will also have the chance to attend tournaments and try and qualify for the state or national debate tournament! Debate is open to anyone who wants to work on their public speaking skills, try their hand at competitive debate, or wants to learn more about the competition at a high school, college and national level. We will bring in speakers from different colleges to give their insights on debate, and learn more about Public Forum, Impromptu and Extemporaneous Speaking!

Dungeons and Dragons Club

D&D club is designed to let people try Dungeons and Dragons and meet new people! 

Fiber Arts Club

A club where we knit, crochet, etc. not only for fun but the goal is to do community service (making blankets for homeless shelters, selling products to raise money for organizations). Any level of experience is welcome to join.

Film Club

Film club would be a relaxed club that allows students to watch famous or impactful movies and talk about them with fellow film-lovers. The movies will be seasonal and be chosen based on a majority vote. All are welcome to watch even if they aren't a part of the club because the movies would be once a month. 

The Forum

In the wake of major events, people need a place in which they can calmly and constructively talk about what occurred. The Forum is that place. After notable events happen, whether they be local or global, The Forum will meet and people will have the opportunity to voice their opinions and listen to others. By doing this, we hope that people not only feel heard but also grow their understanding of the subject by being introduced to differing opinions. This way, the WT community can not only stay informed of what is happening but also broaden their minds. This year, we intend to continue our facilitation of open discussion and giving students a space to voice their thoughts on the issues that affect our world. 

Friendship Circle x Winchester

A club where the community can come together and hang out with people you would not normally hang out with. While discussing and interacting with ideas of friendship and inclusion.

Furiend Helper

Furiend helpers are a team that partners with local dog rescues/shelters to help out with their supplies needs!

Gaelic Culture Club

The Gaelic Culture Club hopes to promote Gaelic culture by exposing students to traditional Gaelic sports, arts, and “food.”

Game Club 

The game club plans to create a more welcoming environment around all of WT. Unlike last year's video game club the Game club plans to incorporate all forms of games both physical and digital. Overall we want to be a place where people can come together, relax, and most of all have fun.

International Film Club

International Film Club showcases the many languages and international people groups in the Pittsburgh region.  Students, families and friends of Winchester Thurston Community can enjoy monthly viewings of experience foreign films.  THe club will work with the foreign language department to find interesting, thought provoking and school appropriate international films for each month.  Each month will feature a different language from a different country/ region. Some selections of languages were according to months and activities during those months in the U.S.A.  We will set the movie schedule ready with dates and movies from the following countries or language groups at the beginning of the school year.  

Investment Club

What happens when you give high schoolers $10,000 to invest in the year 2011? I'm glad you asked. You get $26,000 in the Fund and hundreds of WT high schoolers who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about investing. Over the long run, those who prudently and strategically invest may make more money from investments than their career. That's insane, and, given tuition rates in the past couple years, an attractive avenue for wealth-building to all students. The goal of the Investment Club is to turn complete wall-street novices into proud young investors who can identify the common pitfalls of investing and confidently begin to put towards a better future. We use our Fund, current market news, and a slate of high-profile speakers from the investing world to educate and ensure WT kids are well-equipped to get the rest of their lives started out right. By investing two half-hour periods of your time every week, you have the opportunity to make a decision which will teach you about and pay you metaphorical dividends later on. For those who join, the investment club will be an excellent source of information and community for the entire year.

Language and Linguistics club

Our goal is to foster a love for languages and language-learning and this year we will be teaching the constructed language: Toki Pona

Med Club

The med club is a club for students interested or curious about a future in the medical/health care field. There will be opportunities for members of the club to hear from medical professionals as well as current med school students. We will hopefully be able to participate in different workshops and activities that will allow members to experience what a future in this field could be like. This club will be a space for people to share and listen to advice from other students that share similar goals and interests. 

Media on Morewood

Media on Morewood is back! We will be working closely with the athletics department (so close that you can earn a varsity letter), taking photos and videos of sports teams, and collecting stats for other various projects (interviews, write-ups, etc.).

Mental Health and Wellness Club

Health and Wellness club provides students a place to de-stress and gives students recommendations on how to de-stress and incorporate mindfulness into their life. Weekly newsletters to members give them a handful of mindfulness and healthy habits to practice during the week. Including but not limited to meditation, yoga, journaling prompts, and mental health resources.

Mock Trial 

Mock trial is a collaborative, challenging team competition where students transform into attorneys and witnesses to try a case written by Paul Kaufman. Students spend practice learning the rules which govern court, interpreting and debating case details, and practicing their pitch to prosecute or defend their client with the help of a licensed attorney. Along the way, we will scrimmage for juries of teachers, spend time away from mock, and, hopefully, eat a lot of food. After a successful, and more importantly, fun first two years, mock is ready to put the pieces together for a historic season three. Mock is a good fit not just for those interested in the law, but for those who enjoy theater, puzzles, teammates, competition, and trying something new. With two teams, we hope to host even more enthusiastic "Jr. Kaufmans" this year, and we're excited to get started this season.

Model UN

Our aim in this club is to practice our argumentative and rhetorical skills, as well as advancing interests in international relations/policy in our school. We will attend conferences at Pitt and Duquesne to test our skills in competition. 

Mu Alpha Theta

Club Description: We're a club for math enthusiasts to have fun playing math games, participating in some online math contests, and doing other fun things such as organizing math-themed scavenger hunts! Join if you find math problems/puzzles fun, or just want to hang out with us!!

Peer Tutoring

Peer tutoring is a wonderful opportunity to build community and support your fellow students. Peer tutors work one-on-one with WT students to help them study for assessments, complete homework, review class content, or just get organized. Anyone can be a peer tutor if you feel confident in your understanding of a subject and want to help others succeed!

Ping Pong Club

We will play ping pong, buy supplies and play more ping pong, specifically tournaments.

Plaid - Art & Literary Magazine

Plaid is a home of all things creative at WT. Annually, our editors and staff produce a new edition of our award-winning magazine, filled entirely with creative student work. Beyond our magazine, Plaid introduces outside writers and artists to WT, provides events throughout the school year including writing workshops and poetry readings, and facilitates our annual Art & Writing contest.

Political Student Association

The goals for the club are to provide students with resources and opportunities to sign up for political campaign volunteering. Help seniors register to vote. Participate  in policy-based issues (Any issues like environmental, women’s rights, etc.) Partnering with FSU, Climate Changers, Students Demand Action, Student Unions. Provide students with policy-based panels to educate them about issues.

Programming Club

Programming Club provides an inclusive and non-judgemental space for students to receive help with computer science homework, work on group projects, and learn about the world of tech. We will host hackathons, facilitate conversations about AI ethics, present computer science topics in an approachable way, and offer support in all the students' programming endeavors.

Quiz Bowl

Quizbowl is WT's academic competition team. The whole team competes in Saturday tournaments throughout Pittsburgh and a select few will go to Nationals at the year's end. At club meetings, we do practice questions, hone our skills, and prepare for tournaments

Science Olympiad

Interested in applying the science that you're learning in class to real scenarios? Like winning medals? Consider Science Olympiad, a competition team which competes in 23 events (which differ year to year) based around the core sciences.

Sigma Academic Journal

In Dr. Keith Bemer's vision, Sigma, Winchester Thurston's student-run STEM journal, has been published for the past five years showcasing the exceptional student work at all STEM experience levels to a broad and diverse audience. This year Sigma STEM Journal will be expanding into the Sigma Academic Journal: a peer-reviewed journal accepting formal academic work in STEM and other disciplines such as English or History.  With this expansion will come the opportunity for students to learn about and refine their academic writing through workshops and guest speakers currently working in academia. Staff members and editors diligently work year-round encouraging submissions, selecting work for publication, aiding in the revision and peer-review process, as well as LaTeXing and formatting articles to create the Sigma Academic Journal.

Service Club

The Service Club will select a day each month to do a different service project.  We will meet in 211 to set up a service calendar with the date listed each month and the time and the location of the service.  This will allow our Winchester Community to know what is happening ahead of time. These activities may occur during community time or lunch time or many will be during the weekend. 

Ski Club

Gonna plan fun ski/snowboarding trips for the high school!

Sports Analytics Club

In this club, we would look at all sorts of sports and analyze stats, hoping to predict future performances. In a more advanced manner, we would look at and try to create a sports algorithm using advanced math to predict games. We will also be playing games where one can try and predict how players/teams will do in their next game, for a possible prize each week. Our hope is for people who love sports and watch them a lot to come to this space and use their knowledge in a fun way. 

Soccer Club

Mission/Purpose: Bring people together who love soccer and create a space for debate and discussion about the sport. We'll have fun kahoots to test soccer knowledge and to help people who want to learn more about soccer. 

STEMinists

Our mission is to plant knowledge of inequality within STEM in the minds of our community, to raise awareness about possible solutions, to promote the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM, and to grow a positive environment for local and widespread change. We will do interesting STEM activities and all are welcome!

Student Ambassadors

In student ambassadors, we introduce prospective students, parents, and guests to our school and everything it has to offer! An integral part of being a student ambassador is being a buddy to a prospective or incoming student and touring them around the school, introducing them to all of your classes, and answering their questions throughout the day. Student Ambassadors also help out with school events like student Q&A panels.

Team Seas Club

The purpose of the club is to create awareness of environmental issues, such as protection and conservation. We will aim mainly to raise money for environmental issues.

Video Game Club

Video Game Club allows people to play Super Smash Bros and other games with people after school. It is a great way to meet new people and play games.

Voices

Voices purpose has been for the past 50 years to deliver news to the Winchester community on a wide variety of topics. We supply the student body with stories pertaining to WT, Global News, Op-Ed, Satire, Art & Style, and Sports. The Voices website also posts content from E & I, Media on Morewood, and the Bear Talk podcast. We hope to inform the student body, but also use our platform as a place to start discussions and raise new ideas. Newspapers foster change and we hope to encourage the student body to create change in their community as well. 

WT Math Team

The Winchester Thurston Math Team (in coordination with Mu Alpha Theta) gets together once a month starting in October to solve challenging math questions, We discuss problem solving techniques and share strategies. If you like challenging math questions, Math Team is for you!

https://mathteam2022winchester.on.drv.tw/www.Mathteam/Mathteam.html 

WT Students Demand Action For Gun Sense

Demand Action is a national organization of young activists committed to ending gun violence. Our mission is to educate and engage students in reducing gun violence and raise awareness about its tremendous impact on our lives. We are all too familiar with school and other mass shootings, domestic violence, and gun-related suicide. It is our hope that student activists will contribute to ending gun violence and making our world a safer place.

Yearbook

Yearbook is a club where members of the Upper School work together to create a book of everything that happened during the school year. It is a great time to hang out with people from other grades and immerse yourself in everything WT. We have so much fun working together and celebrating a book that will allow us in the future to remember all of the amazing things we did.