In room 9318, the sound of shuffling cards and laughter fills the air as Coral Gables Senior Highs’ Wizards Club members dive into friendly tournaments and spirited trading. More than just a hangout, the club has become a haven for students to connect over shared passions in gaming and fantasy. With visions of bringing the club to new heights, this year co-presidents, seniors Ashlee Hernandez and Phoenix Lozano plan to guide members through new strategies by transforming what began as a small gathering of fantasy and video game enthusiasts into a zone of creativity and spirited teamwork.
Stepping into the new school year with ambitious goals, the Wizards Clubs’ sponsor and founder Mr. De Armas and his board are working to upgrade the club with fresh strategies to increase student engagement. Under the leadership of seniors Hernandez and Lozano, the Wizards Club has gone through a variety of changes to make meetings more entertaining, inclusive and organized. With a mix of team-based activities, creative projects and leadership opportunities, the club is improving methods while also maintaining members’ enthusiasm and passion that has drawn students to the club for 10 years.
The Wizard Clubs’ identity has long been tied to its sponsor, Mr. De Armas. Gaining a reputation for running the “nerd culture club,” he often reminds students that their classroom is a space free of judgment, a motto that he has carried through the years. From the moment of the Wizards clubs’ founding in 2015, he has watched the club grow from a small group to a much larger operation that now draws dozens of students in every month.
“When I first got to Gables, I didn’t talk to many people outside of class. Joining Wizards really changed that for me because it gave me a community to be part of. It opened my perspective and helped me feel much more welcomed at school, like I genuinely had a place here,” sophomore Jade Acevedo said.
At the heart of the mythical club lies fostering a sense of belonging. The Wizards Club is the epitome of a welcoming circle where anyone can show up, participate and find something that speaks to them. For some members that means diving into an intense game of Dungeons and Dragons, while others would rather spend the afternoon painting. Defying the odds despite its diverse itinerary, the club allows enthusiasts alike to explore their interests or discover a new pastime of theirs.
From electrifying Super Smash Bros tournaments to special traditions such as the “folkmoot meeting,” where board members are selected and a Pokémon-themed event boosting the clubs’ popularity, the Wizards Club continues to bring people together in niche ways. Organizing well-received holiday-themed events for its consistently large crowds, these range from a Halloween meeting with a costume contest, a Christmas gathering featuring a cookie potluck with a “white elephant” gift exchange and a Valentines’ Day “rizztaurant,” where members talk to a stranger about random topics prompted by the club board to form new-found friendships.
“Wizards Club started out as a place for nerds or people who just wanted a place to chill, only taking up one classroom. Now we take up four other classrooms with rooms for video games, arts and crafts, unusual movies, board games, Dungeons and Dragons and tests of wit like trivia. From the start, we have stood as a commitment-free club, here for those who seek it and for some that have nowhere else to go. We strive to create a sense of belonging for our members. We are home to everyone, striving to make every individual feel welcomed and have a reason to come back to the next meeting,” senior Hernandez said.
To attract new members and further communicate within its existing base, the Wizards Club has revamped its advertising strategy. On top of their traditional and effective word of mouth promotion, the club now takes advantage of the Gables Live morning announcements and maintains a dedicated Instagram account, shining the spotlight on the club.
Making it a point to amplify their participation within the club, the board targets this goal by meeting the members’ interests. Overseeing the clubs’ innovative events, seniors Hernandez and Lozano have made it their personal mission to ensure everyone has a place. With no dues or obligations attached to the club, students and members feel more relaxed knowing they have a personal retreat within the Wizards club.
“My time in my position has been extremely fun for me. It has given me the excuse to do one of the things I love most regularly. I try to give people as much creative liberty as possible, it is always fun to see what people can come up with. I think ‘Wizards’ itself is a super inclusive club; we always try to be. Being the Art Wizard has helped me grow so much more confidence in myself and what I can do since I’ve come to Gables, and I am very grateful I am able to help others with that as well,” sophomore Adrienne Muñoz said.
By updating their promotional tactics, the Wizards Club maintain a loyal following. Instead of measuring these methods’ successes in numbers, they are tracked through the satisfaction the members experience after their meetings. Sparked by student engagement during activities and the buzz that lingers long after, the board analyzes how their latest approaches are holding up.
“While our themes stay consistent, the activities we do stay recent and relevant to the time. For example, on our first meeting this year, we had a Clash [Royale] tournament, a very popular game recently. If there is nothing you like doing there, you can always pitch ideas to any board member, Mr. De Armas, Phoenix or me, and we will be happy to add new content for the next meetings,” senior Hernandez said.
Coming a long way from its early beginnings in a single classroom, the club has blossomed into one of the schools’ most inclusive and diverse clubs. A decade later, Wizards thrives not only because of its activities, but because of the culture of community that leaders such as seniors Hernandez and Lozano and Mr. De Armas have nurtured.
Despite the clubs’ refresh of its initiatives, their vision remains unchanged: giving every student a place to belong. Anticipating upcoming events and a growing number of dedicated members, the Wizards Club shows no signs of slowing down, proving that even in their tenth year, the magic is still very much alive.
