Although Dallastown has a variety of clubs to offer, some students still don’t find their interests being met. Junior Riya Agarwal had been thinking about creating a graphic design club. So, that’s exactly what she did. 

The new club “Design IT” had to go through multiple steps before getting approved.

Agarwal however experienced her own journey to get the club up and running. 

The club focuses on using different design programs, learning workshops, and making content for other clubs. 

“I immediately went to Mr. Myers to ask if it’s something we could do,” she said.

Dallastown’s art teacher, Thomas Myers, thought the club was a great idea to teach students graphic design programs along with putting skills to good use. The two immediately went to work planning. 

Once she pitched her idea to Myers, he had to fill out a club form. They loosely figured out plans and the structure, then they got the proposal approved. 

“I believe it took less than a week,” Myers said regarding the approval process.

Although this process was short, the work didn’t stop there. The next step was to finish the layout for ‘Design IT.”

“It was planning the club out that took a while for me,” said Agarwal. 

After considering names for days, she stuck with “Design IT.” Agarwal wanted a name that someone could say as a verb and noun. This ultimately led to her decision on the name.

She didn’t have any doubts about her idea.

“I think there’s a need for better graphics in our school, especially when more and more things are going digital,” she exclaimed.

Agarwal might’ve not had any doubts, but as the club began she noticed some issues. The main struggles were getting people to join the club and participating in the meetings. 

However, being in seven other clubs didn’t slow Agarwal down. She got her club started and gained lots of positive feedback from members. Her goals for the future are to reach more students and have more design commissions. 

“I let Riya run the club. She has certain ideas of what she wants to do so I let her take charge. I will step in if the technology isn’t working or to show something if needed,” Myers said.

The club plans to work with the yearbook club in the near future, along with designing shirts for the Physics Olympiad.  “Design IT” is a place to learn new skills and try new opportunities, just like Agarwal did. If you are interested in joining, you can reach out to Agarwal or Myers via email.

Remember, there is always room at Dallastown for new ideas. Don’t be afraid to “design” your journey.