Clubs and Activities

MCI holds the Annual Club and Activity Fair at the start of each school year, usually during the first day of school with all students. The fair is held in Parks Gym, and each MCI club is represented by the faculty/staff advisor and student members. The fair is a wonderful chance for students to learn about the many clubs that MCI offers, providing students a chance to learn about current club offerings and sign up. Clubs compete for the Best Table award, which is given at the end of the fair.

Students who do not see a club they would like to participate in are encouraged to complete a survey about what they would like offered at the School.

For more information, please contact Mr. Giallombardo at (email: sgiallombardo@mci-school.org).

MCI students and their families host a homeroom class of Japanese students from Aomori-Minami Senior High School. Aomori students participate in school visits, co-curricular activities, eating and shopping, and typical Maine family activities. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to enjoy a more personal exchange with teenagers from another country, and discover that they have much in common.

MCI students travel to Aomori via Toyko, Japan to enjoy a visit Aomori-Minami Senior High School. Our students are able to participate in a home stay with Aomori students' families that visit us at MCI.

For more information, please contact Mr. Robinson at (email: lrobinson@mci-school.org).

Come chill out during Flex time in the art room on Tuesday afternoons. We draw, listen to music, and watch art videos. Art club times of meeting and specific activities are determined by the group (student-led) and suggested activities are:

• Painting sets for prom
• Museum visits
• Making homemade charcoal at bonfire
• Free choice art time in Art room
• Explorations - trying new media

For more information, contact Mr. Appler
(email: sappler@mci-school.org).

For more information on Athletes of Christ, contact Mr. Day (eday@mci-school.org) or Ms. Breton (lbreton@mci-school.org) to join today!

For more information on ATV/Snowmobile Club, contact Ms. Fitts (efitts@mci-school.org) to join today!

For more information on Cheerleading, contact Ms. Clanton (efitts@mci-school.org) to join today!

For more information on Chinese Club, contact Ms. Ren (mren@mci-school.org) to join today!

For more information on Cooking Club, contact Mr. Fass (afass@mci-school.org) to join today!

Creative Writing Club engages students who are interested in exploring all forms of creative writing. The club meets once a week to write and share creative work. The club is currently working on developing MCI's new literary magazine, which will soon be open to all visual art and creative writing submissions. Creative Writing Club is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about literary publication from the perspective of both writer and publisher.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Clanton (kclanton@mci-school.org) or Ms. Crommett (kcrommett@mci-school.org).

Cultural Diversity Club organizes campus-wide events aimed at celebrating the rich cultural diversity of our students and faculty such as the Cultural Heritage Day (annual flag ceremony) and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The club also hosts the International Food Festival — an MCI tradition since 2007 — which has become a fun, family event in the spring for hundreds of area foodies and school supporters.

For more information, contact Mr. Fass (afass@mci-school.org) to join today!

Our dance club currently meets one night a week for an hour and the style of dance is K-pop. K-pop stands for Korean Pop and originates in South Korea. This style of dance relies on synchronized movements and the dancers switching positions during the routine. Currently, there are students participating in the dance club from South Korea, China and Vietnam. Each week, the girls choose a song and learn the choreographed dance as a group. 

For more information contact Ms Fehnel (dfehnel@mci-school.org) to join today!

Drama Club welcomes all skill levels and abilities. There is something for everyone! The club is designed to foster interest and promote participation in theatre activities on campus, showcase student talent in the venues outside the regular Theatre Arts classes, engage in meaningful theatrical activities and productions, demonstrate school and community spirit and pride, promote high standards of conduct, and stimulate a successful working relationship between students and faculty.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Susi at (email: dsusi@mci-school.org).

The Fencing Club has a few devotees who think it is a great way to spend a couple of hours once a week, because fighting with swords is very cool! The club is designed to teach competitive sport fencing, starting with foil, to any student who wants to learn. Both males and females fence on an equal footing and the camaraderie mostly trumps the competitive urge. Members who are able to attend regularly are usually amazed at how they improve over the course of a year. We are limited by our equipment to about eight fencers at any one time but are able to accommodate larger numbers by sharing.

Swords, masks, jackets and gloves are all provided by the club in a wide range of sizes so almost anyone can come learn.

For more information, please contact Cleon Grover at (email: cleongrover@gmail.com).

The mission of the French Club is to spread awareness of Francophone culture on the MCI campus. We host events on campus with this in mind and our events are primarily food centered. Through these events we raise money to then create 'scholarships' that help students attend trips to french speaking places, such as our upcoming trip to Québec City in 2023. The hope is to travel to a french speaking country every three years. 

In addition, the club is working during meetings to create and build a youtube channel where the members will create and share stories and recipes from the french speaking world. Videos will be bi-lingual, presented in English and in French. When the channel goes live we will of course let you know. 

We are also hoping to dedicate some time to casual, guided conversation in French. 

For more information, contact Mr. Aro (naro@mci-school.org) to join today!

For more information on Gardening Club, contact Mr. Giallombardo (sgiallombardo@mci-school.org) or Ms. Stockwell (tstockwell@mci-school.org) to join today!

MCI Gay-Straight Alliance goals are to communicate with the LGBT and youth on campus and advocate their needs and concerns. By bringing awareness to their issues, we will create a stronger, more inclusive community for all MCI students.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Susi at (email: dsusi@mci-school.org).

MCI's Key Club comprises students from all grades who are interested in serving their communities. At our weekly meetings, we talk about community service projects and how we can help others. In the past few years we have also prepared and served meals at the Welcome Table, partnered with the Kindness Krew to provide Thanksgiving meals to local families in need, raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and organized a charity basketball game to benefit a neighboring school district.

Key Club International is the high school organization sponsored by Kiwanis International. Key Club assists Kiwanis in carrying out its mission to serve the children of the world. High school student members of Key Club perform acts of service in their communities, such as cleaning up parks, collecting clothing and organizing food drives. They also learn leadership skills by running meetings, planning projects and holding elected leadership positions at the club, district and international levels.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Pomeroy at kpomeroy@mci-school.org or Mrs. Palonis at apalonis@mci-school.org

For more information on Korean Club, contact Ms. Fehnel (dfehnel@mci-school.org) to join today!

Masardis is MCI’s art magazine and coffee-house. Collecting and editing art publications that feature original student art and literature of varying mediums, Masardis explores the many facets of MCI’s creative community members, routinely recognized and newly found.

Beyond their dedication to visual and literary arts, Masardis sponsors performance art through regular coffeehouse nights showcasing student and faculty talents while enjoying light refreshments. Masardis celebrates and shares MCI’s creative community.

For more information, please contact Mr. Buys at (email: jbuys@mci-school.org).

The Math Team generally meets once a week for organizational purposes and practice. Each team has ten scoring members whose performances count toward both the individual results and the team score. Other members’ scores are counted only for the individual, but teams can be rearranged at will. Doing several math problems in a limited time may not be everyone's idea of a great way to spend an afternoon, but the pride of success at such a mental challenge is very rewarding. The problems are designed to be very challenging even when the level of math is set for beginning high school students. The problem categories range from arithmetic to trigonometry and statistics. Serious math students of any level can contribute to this team.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Wess at (email: jwess@mci-school.org).

Model UN is a student group with a focus on global awareness, global citizenship, and diplomacy. Students learn about international issues and work collaboratively to solve problems through position papers, debate, and discussion. Each May the team travels to the University of Southern Maine for three days to discuss global issues with schools across Maine. To prepare for the May conference, students work diligently throughout the spring months studying and writing about global issues.

For more information, please contact Mr. Brownell at (email: ebrownell@mci-school.org).

The National Honor Society is a national organization that comprises high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Membership in the National Honor Society is one of the highest honors that can be awarded to a student. The NHS strives to recognize the total student—one who excels in four areas: Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Citizenship, and Character.

Membership, however, is more than an honor. It incurs a responsibility and an obligation to demonstrate those outstanding qualities that resulted in selection.

This organization is not open to all students, but exemplary students are chosen by a committee of faculty members. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 85 or better and also must attend MCI for three semesters to be considered. MCI reviews new potential candidates each September, and students are inducted into MCI's NHS chapter every year in October.

For more information, please contact Mr. Robinson or Mrs. Libby at
(email: lrobinson@mci-school.org and jlibby@mci-school.org)

Outdoor Adventure Club gives students opportunities to get outside and be active. The club takes advantage of the great outdoor resources in central Maine and beyond. Recent adventures include an overnight biking trip to the Maine Huts and Trails system, a hike to Katahdin Peak, and a paddle from the Pinnacle to Douglas Pond in Pittsfield.

Much of the learning experience lies in preparing for these adventures: we have learned about outdoor first aid, dressing for the cold, and even fly tying. The club is most active in the fall and spring but meets all year on a weekly basis.

For more information, please contact Mr. Libby at (email: mlibby@mci-school.org).

The Robotics Team at MCI, The Terror Bytes, is a competitive FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics team that competes in two regular season events a year. We meet every week during the off season (June to December) to work on projects, logistics, planning, and fundraising. During the build and competition season (Jan to May) we meet four times a week to design, build and program the robot, as well as work on video production, award submissions and pit design.

The team is open to all students; we need programmers, designers, builders/fabricators, website builders, artists, writers and other talented folks! While students don't need to attend every meeting and build session, there are attendance and fundraising commitments to be met in order to qualify to travel to competitions.

For more information, please contact Ms. Nielsen at (email snelson@mci-school.org)

Ski and Snowboard Club organizes around trips to local mountain resorts to enjoy time skiing, snowboarding, and the apres ski scene! We often ski at Sugarloaf on weekends, but we have also traveled to Hermon, Titcomb, and other resorts in Maine. This club welcomes experienced and new skiers and snowboarders. It is a great opportunity to learn and enjoy some of Maine's best winter scenes!  

For more information, contact Mr. Buys (jbuys@mci-school.org) to join today!

For more information on Spanish Club, contact Ms. Hartford (mhartford@mci-school.org) to join today!

MCI Student Ambassadors serve as MCI's representatives to prospective families and  prospective students. The Student Ambassadors participate in multiple capacities throughout the year at various admissions events and activities. They also serve as hosts for students who participate in the MCI experience.

For more information, please contact Ms. Ren at (email: mren@mci-school.org).

The Mission Statement of the Maine Central Institute Student Council is: “We will work to make each school day a good experience for every student at MCI. We will work to make MCI a safe, welcoming, fair, fun and learning place for students to be.”

The Student Council serves the student body. We solicit input around student issues and concerns, and develop and implement ways to address those issues. The Student Council is one avenue for administrators to gather input as well. Additionally, we conduct service projects for MCI and sponsor activities designed to meet our pledge in our mission statement. We raise money to fund three scholarships and to fund attendance at leadership conferences.

Some of the traditional activities of the Student Council:

• Theme Week - includes preparing and presenting an all-school meeting and various activities built around the school theme
• Design and present a second school meeting to revisit the theme
• Campus Coffee events in December and May for the entire school 
• Attend regional/state/national Student Council Conferences
• Coordinate Fast Blast, a fun 24-hour fast and sleepover
• Produce Senior Video
• Develop Spring Fever Week, a week of activities designed to help everyone have fun and shake the mid-winter doldrums
• Maintain a bulletin board in the library
  
  For more information, please contact Mrs. Verrill at (email: jverrill@mci-school.org).

For more information on Tabletop Gaming, contact Mr. Brownell (ebrownell@mci-school.org), Mr. Elderkin (lelderkin@mci-school.org), or Mr. Pomeroy (apomeroy@mci-school.org) to join today!

The purpose of the MCI Volleyball Club is to provide a friendly atmosphere for volleyball players and anyone interested in learning the game to meet and play with others in Parks Gym. The Club has open play once a week for players to enjoy recreational volleyball. Open play is arranged for those without previous playing experience looking to learn the game.  Everyone is welcome to come and participate.

For more information, contact Mr. Gerrie (jgerrie@mci-school.org) to join today!

Students in the Yearbook Club are responsible for creating MCI’s yearbook, The Trumpet. Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities including: photography, digital editing, journalism, and business management. Yearbook is a lot of fun and celebrates a variety of student talents.

Students can participate in Yearbook Club regardless of what classes they are enrolled in or their class year in school.

For more information, please contact Ms. Shorey (email: kshorey@mci-school.org)

Maine Youth and Government is a program that puts high school students into the role of a legislator or administration official to gain a better understanding of Maine's legislative process. Students learn how bills are made in Maine and propose their own pieces of legislation. The culminating experience of the program is a three-day legislative session at the State House in Augusta where students will debate and discuss their own legislation in hopes of making the reforms that Maine needs!

For more information, please contact Mr. Brownell at (email: ebrownell@mci-school.org).