Delving into hidden stories: let’s do some history

A deep dive into the history club at AHS

AP tests, boring lectures, memorization—these are all things many people hate when it comes to history. Given its negative reputation, that begs the question: why would anyone want to join History Club in the first place?

The central focus of History Club is to spread awareness of the underrepresented areas in history. “History Club is a place where I want to explore the history of minorities more than just what’s usually taught,” said Srestha Bajjuri (10), the president of History Club. “School history is very limited, and you don’t really get a proper scope of things that you are passionate about.”

Certain aspects of history class also frequently apply to modern day society. “I never liked the phrase ‘history repeats itself,’ but I think history does rhyme. It’s important to understand the past, because in our current day, there’s always a difference in terms of what situation we’re in, but there’s a lot of similarities and patterns,” said Mr. Kaeding, the club’s advisor.

Since all of the executives from last year graduated, History Club is currently under completely new leadership. As a result, its focus has shifted to incorporate a competition called National History Day. Sardha Viswanath (10), the club secretary, said, “NHD [has] this project where every year they have a different theme. You need to look for things in history that happen in your local community, and you bring that to light with your project.”

Officers of the club will help club members who are interested in competing create a strong submission and keep members updated on the intricacies of the requirements. “There are 6 categories, which are exhibits, documentaries, podcasts, papers, websites, and skits. These competitions start at county, then state, then national level,” Bajjuri said. “A goal that those participating in NHD usually have is being well versed in their particular topic. This is important for the interview portion in which everyone is assigned a dedicated time where judges come and ask questions about your project and basically grade it.”

Srestha Bajjuri, president of History Club submitted a project in the exhibit category at state level for National History Day (Photo Credit: Soumya Badam).

History Club has drawn the attention of many students who are interested in the intricacies of the past. Ayush Pathuri (10) said, “It’s quite an inclusive place. You talk about several different topics for different backgrounds, and it brings everyone together in general.”

A recent topic the club covered was LGBTQ+ history, allowing for a safe environment for those interested in the history of the queer community.

This being their first year running a club, the officers of History Club have been adapting and learning from their newfound positions. Bajjuri said, “We’re all just figuring out what we’re doing because none of us have really managed a club. We’re just getting used to that, and hopefully more people do show up.”

Since History Club finds itself short on members, its officers hope that more people may find themselves drawn to its goal of exploring niche parts of history. Bajjuri said, “I would definitely love to see if it grows and more people are interested.”