Clubs
CHS’s clubs encourage student leadership, volunteerism, community building and, of course, fun. Clubs typically meet once a week after the school day ends and provide students time and facilities to pursue interests related to their arts and academic work in an atmosphere of self-determination and collaboration. Students initiate clubs with a written proposal which details the goals of the club and the ways it can benefit the campus’ social and intellectual life. Each club is sponsored by a faculty member that helps to guide the club’s direction.
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Club
CHS’s D&D club formed in 2010 when a handful of energetic students got together, learned the historical roots of role-playing games and started their first campaign. In order to honor one of role-playing’s founding fathers, Garry Gygax, they started with Old D&D. The group has since grown to include over twenty members in two thriving campaigns who meet regularly on Thursdays, playing a diverse array of games including Romntique, Pathfinder, Pendragon and Monster Hunter. This unique craft emphasizes teamwork, creative writing, improvisation and social skills.
Quidditch
CHS’s Quidditch Team formed in 2012 and is the school’s only active sporting team. Quidditch is a team sport with seven players mounted on broomsticks following the IQA rules. The team practices weekly and plays games at Roanoke College and Virginia Tech, and welcomes challengers. See photos here.
Zine Club
Founded and driven by students, the CHS Zine Club creates and prints small-run chapbooks, pamphlets, and comics using photocopying technology. Since 2014, CHS students have published more than 250 student-produced “zines,” or mini-books, exploring everything from zany humor, to dealing with the stresses of school and adolescence, to social justice, to commentary on CHS’s own student culture. They distribute their work beyond the school through Zine trading postal networks and at our annual booth at the Richmond Zine Fest. In the process they learn skills allowing them to express their ideas in a public yet quick and accessible format, and take responsibility for contributing in print to the public discourse of their school community and beyond.
Chess Club
The CHS Chess Club formed in 2017 and meets weekly. Students engage in friendly chess games, teach each other how to play, and occasionally participate in competitions with other schools. This club is open to all students, regardless of chess knowledge or ability.
Model U.N.
Model United Nations is a simulation of the U.N. General Assembly, U.N. Security Council, or other multilateral body, which introduces students to the world of diplomacy, negotiation, and decision making. CHS’s Model U.N. Club began in 2017 and meets each Thursday. Students attend competitions annually, and spend club meeting time preparing for competitions and planning fundraisers to help support their travel expenses.