A New Year, A New Semester, A New You!

2023 is here! With the dawning of a brand new calendar year and the start of our new semester, this is  the perfect time to expand your horizons by trying something new. Who knows - maybe you’ll make new friends, find a new jam you absolutely can’t study without or find a hobby you never knew you were into.

At West, we’re officially into the second half of the school year and I’m excited about finishing my Freshman year as I try to make West Salem High School an encouraging place and seek to better myself in the process. 

Let’s explore a few ways to find a new hobby, favorite book, or tunes to jam out to.

Explore a New Club

At West, we’re lucky to have more than 32 clubs and sports to choose from! These fun-loving groups and their activities span everything from creative writing to ping pong to video gaming. Whether you want to explore another culture, investigate your inner-science geek or take up dance; there’s a West Salem High club for you!

At the beginning of the month, I had friends who discussed planting trees alongside Salem Friends of Trees. On a Saturday morning, Ms. Kerr led the environmental club as we planted trees near Walker Middle School. It was fun to learn the proper method for planting trees, and install these shade-producing plants that will benefit our neighbors for decades to come. It was such a fulfilling experience and a great time with the other members of the environmental club.

You should also know that it’s ok to try a club without committing to being a regular member. Be sure to check out West Salem’s clubs and try one on for size!

Try out Some New Tunes

There’s nothing better than Spotify for accessing and listening to music. One often overlooked feature is the ability to add friends to Spotify so you can share playlists and more. Use the social features built in to the app to see what your friends are listening to - and explore new music along with them.

In the Desktop Spotify App, Friends Activity appears on the right side. Sadly this feature isn’t available on the Spotify website while logged in or the Spotify mobile app. The Friends feature shows songs listened to in the last two hours.

Learn Something by Seeking out Some New Reads

Want to learn something new or examine a new idea? One of the best ways to broaden your horizons is with a new book. If you’re looking for inspiration or a suggestion, our West librarian Ms. Beazizo is chock full of great advice and recommendations. Also, see my recent article that explores some fun titles that are available in the West library.

If then, reading a physical book is something that you just don’t have time for, explore audio books! Through the Salem Library, every library cardholder has access to cloudLibrary, an online catalog of eBooks and audio books. If you need suggestions or help, visit the library and ask one of the friendly and amazing librarians on staff. Lastly, check out the dozens of online resources available from the Salem Library.

So, now that you know some of the amazing opportunities we have as Titans - which new thing are you going to add this semester? 

(Image courtesy of Nik on Unsplash)