Freshly created in October 2022, one of NC’s newest clubs, Asian Student Association (ASA), provides a lively and dynamic space for all students at NC to learn and discuss the various facets of Asian culture. The club’s co-founders, magnet sophomores Sydney Ma, Catalina Santiago, Isabella Santiago and Elijah Smith aim to encourage a sense of inclusion through the student body, where any student who wishes to join the organization feels embraced while doing so. Through bi-weekly meetings held on Mondays after school, ASA fosters enticing conversations and engaging activities, all under the fluorescent lighting of Room 608. 

ASA adds to the list of clubs started during NC’s 2022-23 school year, such as Career Explorer’s Club and Female Leaders of Tomorrow. Similar to clubs by the likes of Hispanic Organization Promoting Education (HoPe) and Black Student Union (BSU), ASA centers on the importance of finding connections to others through culture. The club’s founders plan meeting agendas that stimulate discussion and eagerness among the members who attend with perked ears and keen attitudes. Throughout the handful of club gatherings thus far, ASA’s participants feel a strong connection with other members and look forward to further forging those bonds. 

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Sydney Ma

“I’ve gotten to meet people and have gotten to get closer to people who understand me and understand issues not everyone else will understand. It’s brought everyone in the club closer together and I appreciate the closeness of everyone there,” senior Malisa Chanthasalo said. 

At the recent meeting on February 27, clubgoers competed against each other in a guessing game of identifying songs by popular Asian musicians in a few seconds. With musical medleys sourced from a playlist curated by the founders, students split into two teams and excitedly put titles and names to the beats and melodies by the likes of Conan Gray, NIKI, Twice and Jhené Aiko. The duration of the game witnessed a plethora of involvement and music knowledge amongst the members, with cheers, singing and laughter to follow.

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Ciara Whimbush

Co-founders and magnet sophomores Sydney Ma, Catalina Santiago, Isabella Santiago and Elijah Smith began their first meeting back from winter break.

Enthusiastically, ASA breathes fresh air into the extracurricular life at NC. With its lively atmosphere, passionate leadership and equally zealous participants, the club manufactures a great deal of inclusion and warmth for every student involved. Looking toward the future, the founders of ASA hope to maintain the organization throughout and past their time within NC’s halls. 

“We hope that in the near future, ASA could host fundraisers to support Asian charities, partner with Asian food businesses for a percent night, host movie nights, and possibly an international night with other clubs. Eventually, we would love to continue to have the ASA club pass on to future generations of students. Our goals are not limited to these but ultimately we want to see a community of students who can embrace and celebrate Asian culture,” Ma said.