By Esther Lu, staff writer

Countless clubs at Cal High bring diversity to the table, opening opportunities for all students on campus.

But many unique clubs go unnoticed.

These clubs show a variety of interests and have encouraged teens to pursue something other than academics in the classroom.

A new club on campus, called Grizzlies with a Heart, has its sights set on serving at the George Mark House, a hospice for terminally ill youth.

To serve at the hospice, members had to attend an orientation and a training session in order to learn how to interact with the kids and to help care for them.

“It makes you feel good that you went out there to make a difference,” said junior Zack Yates, a member of Grizzlies with a Heart.

Their first volunteer trip is planned this month.

The members of the club all have their own motivations for wanting to volunteer at the hospice center.

“Growing up, my brother went through leukemia and that had an impact on me to want to work in the medical field,” said senior Jillian Nunes, president of Grizzlies with a Heart. “The people that volunteered gave him a chance to get away from his illness and to just be a normal kid.”

Sophomore Riley Johnson joined the club after volunteering at a Special Olympics program in New Orleans.

“Ever since then, I wanted to volunteer because I wanted to help kids that were losing or missing out on great parts of their lives,” said Riley.

Another club involved in the medical field is Team HBV, a club that raises awareness about Hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B is known as the “silent killer” for having nearly no symptoms until it attacks the liver, according to the World Hepatitis Alliance.

“I like getting people motivated about HBV, since it affects more than 350 million people worldwide,” said senior Hamin Kim, president of Team HBV.

The club plans to sell stuffed animals or  “viral plushies,” during the second semester.

Other clubs focus on directly connecting Cal students to other people in the community.

Members of the Letter Club are pen pals with 27 students in Claire Stoermer’s fifth grade at Fruitvale Elementary in Oakland, a school greatly lacking funds.

“We’re trying to inspire a love of writing,” said junior Stephanie Peng, president of the Letter Club. “I wanted to reach out to kids that may not be (in schools) as fortunate as us.”

These fifth-graders have the opportunity to build friendships with  influential teen role models.

The club sent out their first batch of letters in late January and they are waiting for a reply from Stoemer’s class.

Taking an extra leap to spend time with these kids, the Letter Club plans to go to Great America with them sometime this year.

The Habitat for Humanity club at Cal also connects students to people who need their help with a more hands-on approach.

With hard hats on their heads, hammer and nails in hand, club members help to build future homes for families.

Habitat for Humanity is an international organization that aims to eliminate poverty by building homes.

Once a month, members gather for a build-day at a location in the East Bay that differs every time they go.

“I spent the entire day working with a future homeowner and two months after the build day I got to meet up with him for a celebration at his new home,” said senior Shyam Kumar, co-president of Habitat for Humanity.

“Half a year ago, he didn’t even have a stable place to live,” he said.

Students have the opportunity to build new relationships with their peers, future homeowners and other adults who are actively involved with their community.

There are even clubs on campus that promote faith and spiritual thinking.

Fish Club, a Christian group, is a place where believers and nonbelievers are welcome to discuss how faith can play a role in their lives.

“I like the questions ‘cause they are serious,” said sophomore Devin Diehl. “It’s nice to see that people don’t judge other people’s opinions.”

Faith driven clubs can be a potential outlet for students to talk about their problems and have others advise and support them through a common belief, Devin said.

Sometimes members gather in small groups and discuss passages from the Bible and how Jesus is relevant to their lives today.

“Being in this club, we can be open about issues that teens deal with,” said senior Alex Lin.

With clubs that engage in diverse passions and interests, students can embrace the valuable knowledge and experiences of being active participants in a colorful community.

“A number of clubs can provide a connection for the school and the community,” said history teacher Scott Hodges, who serves as adviser for S-Club and Interact.

“Students can connect with students in a way that is not just in the classroom or on the field,” Hodges said.