Here at Allderdice, we enjoy a wealth of extracurricular activities (as evidenced by our extensive club list). However, we at The Backword have noticed that some clubs do not receive the recognition and membership that they deserve. With this in mind, we present to you eight of the most underrated Allderdice clubs:

1. The British Club

Are you tired of attending clubs that celebrate the culture and languages of amazing places? The British Club is the place for you! Immerse yourself in the fascinating culture of Great Britain by drinking tea, judging people, and colonizing! Learn to add unnecessary letter u’s to words (just to be fancy), and use cool slang terms like “bloke” and “chuffed.” This club is perfect for people who don’t feel like learning a new language or have a superiority complex. And just think how great “fluent in British” will look on your college applications. 

2. Aiello’s Association and Mineo’s Mob

Among some of the most politically-relevant and controversial clubs here at Allderdice, are undoubtedly our Aiello’s Association and Mineo’s Mob. The clubs have amassed 538 and 621 members respectively—making them the largest Allderdice clubs. During Aiello’s Association meetings, members get together to discuss favorite pizza toppings, evaluate the dough recipes, and occasionally toilet paper Mineo’s. Recent Mineo’s Mob work consists of impressive legislation to make Mineo’s pizza the national food of the United States! Once a month, the clubs come together to physically fight over the best Pittsburgh pizza label. Things can get dangerous but measures are being taken to ensure everyone’s safety. Join either club today! 

3. The Fencing Club

Contrary to popular belief, the Fencing Club does not participate in the sworded, whitesuited sport. Instead, Allderdice’s Fencing Club is fundamental to the security and structural safety of our school.  They install fences throughout Squirrel Hill! The fences constructed are either commissioned or spontaneously placed on the lawns of surprised neighbors. To join, you must have knowledge of intermediate to advanced fencing techniques.

4. The Lesser-Known Paradises Travel Club!

Sick of the crowds at picture-perfect South American beaches? Tired of squinting to see the Mona Lisa in France? This club is for you! Rather than paying money to go to tourist attractions with the Travel Club, the Lesser-Known Paradises Travel Club explores even cooler, lesser-known places—and everyone has just as much fun! For example, last spring break, they visited the many pieces of graffiti artwork on Coalfacts Elementary school’s playground. Last fall, they embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife safari through Ms. HenC’s backyard, in which they saw several ants, a butterfly, the dried footprints of an adolescent rabbit, and heard (but did not see), a unique bird. This upcoming summer, the club has plans to walk to Casey, Illinois in order to see The World’s Largest Knitting Needles. You are NOT going to want to miss out. Join today! 

5. Belgian Waffle Enthusiast Club

At the Belgian Waffle Enthusiast Club, members take waffles very, very seriously. It is a space for anyone to share their love for waffles and express deeper emotions about the state of the doughy dessert. Weekly meetings consist of recipe sharing, topping evaluations, and special guests, like next week’s speaker: A man with little experience of waffle making but is half Belgian. It is one of a kind, thrilling experiences like that that make the Belgian Waffle Enthusiast Club one of the best and underrated Allderdice clubs

6. The Fascist Club

You’ve heard of the Socialist Club and Capitalist Club, but this up-and-coming club promises a bright new era for Allderdice. The Fascist Club is the perfect place for budding dictators to practice the skills they will need to overthrow a democracy later in life. The motto: A member today, an insurrectionist tomorrow! Club activities include field trips to the streets to preach their ideology, planning Spirit Days to increase Allderdice nationalism, and sneaking into Socialist Club meetings to kidnap members and hold them hostage in the boiler room. Don’t wait to be on the receiving end of their wrath. Join the regime today!

7. Vegan Student Union

One of the most historically marginalized groups in the school, if not all of America, are vegan students. They have finally taken the brave step to come together and form a safe space for all vegans. “It was kind of a scary thing to do, but I really wanted to give the vegans of Allderdice a place where they could be themselves without judgment or discrimination,” says the proud founder of the club. “You wouldn’t believe the kind of hate we have to face on a regular basis, simply because of our diet.” When asked to give an example of the bigotry she claimed in such detail, Saffron declined to comment. However, any vegans out there who want to feel heard and seen should join. The club engages in meaningful activism such as eating raw cauliflower and strumming the same four chords on an acoustic guitar over and over.

8. Allderdice Fight Club

The first rule: we don’t talk about it. The second rule: Have Fun! The Fight Club provides a healthy way for students to work through any violent urges they may have. Held during lunch periods in the secret boxing ring in the basement, this club brings together constantly feuding students. However, the Allderdice administration has noted a consistent decrease in the amount of conflict during the school day since this club was founded. Students of all skill levels are welcome (but if you’re weak, you might end up in the hospital). Even if you’re not interested in fighting, every fight needs a rowdy audience! Staff members have even been known to bet on who they think the champion will be. Don’t waste any more time letting rage and resentment build up inside you, release it in the Allderdice Fight Club today!

We hope this list helps you discover some of the more underground (sometimes literally) clubs here at Allderdice. Every day is a good day to join a new club and make some lifelong memories!