Westside High School held its annual Open House this fall, giving students and families the opportunity to explore academic programs, clubs and activities offered throughout the school year.

Students moved from table to table in the main hallway and cafeteria, speaking with club members and learning about ways to get involved.

“I’m at the open house to learn about all the new clubs and activities I could join this year,” student Will Mahan said. “I’m trying to get my service learning hours up and figure out everything Westside has to offer. I’ll probably end up joining WTV Live.”

Among the groups looking to add new members was the debate team, which emphasized the academic and personal growth opportunities the activity provides.

“We’re just trying to gain new members because debate is a really valuable skill,” debate member Aum Niak said. “It can be applied to so many things, and there are scholarships and college opportunities too. They should at least try it because they might end up liking it.”

The debate team meets multiple times a week to help new members get comfortable with event formats and argument techniques.

“We meet twice a week, sometimes more,” Niak said. “We teach the new kids and practice debating. We learn how to argue and build cases for competitions.”

The Open House continues to serve as one of the school’s main opportunities for students to discover clubs, build community and find activities that interest them.