Quirky and interesting clubs have been a part of Cal High’s student culture for years.

That tradition continued this year with the founding of the new Conspiracy Club.

Seniors Caity Bailey and Megan Weinshelbaum first came up with the idea of a Conspiracy Club when they were freshmen. They had always been interested in the X-Files and strange conspiracies, and intrigued by the constant question of if there was more to the world than met the eye.

Three years later, they decided to create the Conspiracy Club to share their interests and ideas with others.

“We want to create a space where people can come in and express their opinions and debate about issues,” said Bailey.

The main focus of the club involves analyzing peculiar conspiracies and determining new ideas and possible thoughts about the world and society. All conspiracies are welcome to be discussed within the club, whether old or new.

The club plans to discuss a wide variety of conspiracies in the coming months. Such theories include the Mandela Effect, which occurs when someone has a clear idea of something that has never happened before; the John F. Kennedy assassination and mystery surrounding  Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death, both of which  question whether separate parties played a role; the Rothschild family, who some speculate are behind certain world affairs; and the conspiracy of Pearl Harbor, which concerns FDR being informed of the attack but using it as an excuse to get the US into World War II.

The club is also open to suggestions for what other conspiracies to discuss or debate. But conspiracies that come off as offensive or derogatory will not be discussed.

“I really wanted to hear and obtain all the evidence for conspiracy theories and see if they actually made any sense instead of just jokes,” said sophomore Sophia Chan, who joined the club.

While members are a part of the club, they are under no obligation to believe all theories that are presented in the meetings. Bailey and Weinshelbaum said they prioritized creating a comfortable environment for all members. They make sure that no one ever feels pressured to believe in something that they aren’t comfortable with.

Both club officers look forward to getting to know new people, as well as intertwining opinions to build even stronger conclusions together.

“We love learning about new theories everyone has to offer,” said Weinshelbaum.

In addition to the discoveries of exciting new theories, the Conspiracy Club also teaches critical thinking skills.Throughout the course of the year, the club hopes to develop new ways in which members can process the evidence given and make connections between different conspiracies.

Then with this knowledge, discuss these theories in the form of debates which prepare students with skills they can use later on in their lives.

“I’m really excited to see how students will scratch the surface and try to understand how complex causality is in the universe,” said history teacher Tyler Gulyas, who serves as the club’s adviser.

The club meets in room 106 every other Friday at lunch.