Computer science teacher TJ Slade may sponsor the most clubs out of any other teacher. His nine clubs, all related to computer technology, are collectively called the “Full Stack Tigers.”
“I [sponsor] our Computer Science Club, Computer Science Honor Society, Girls Who Code, Game Development Club, Chess club, Technology Student Association, Business Professionals of America, Robotics team, and lastly, I have Tiger eSports,” Slade said.
That many clubs to manage can be overwhelming, but for Slade, it’s enjoyable because of the people.
“I don’t think I would be a teacher if I wasn’t a club sponsor,” he said. “Those are the most fun I have with students.”
The experience it gives students is also a highlighted aspect.
“[It is a] great opportunity for students to explore their careers outside the classroom,” he said.
One of his many clubs, the Computer Science Club, had recent competitions that took place.
“[For the] KU High School Design Competition, students have to prep and prepare a program [based on] a task list then talk about how their task list is better than other competitors,” he said. “The next one is called the K State Programming Competition and this is where they’re presented with problems and have usually like an hour to solve each problem.”
The secretary of the Computer Science team, senior Jaysen vonSeldeneck, shared an example of how they prepare for those events.
“There’s coding problems [the competition] faces you with and so [doing] things like problems in the club or using different programs are really useful to help you practice problems and [get used to] the competition environment,” vonSeldeneck said.
After being in this activity for three years, vonSeldeneck appreciates what it offers.
“Normally I’m not great at art, but I have all these creative ideas,” he said. “ I like being able to make whatever I want on a computer and solve challenges. My favorite thing about computer science is that it gives me a way to express creativity.”
He encouraged others to join the club –– even if they don’t know anything about the subject.
“We want people to have a community where they can come and learn about computer science, no matter what skill level they are or whether they’ve taken any programming classes or not,” vonSeldeneck said. “The community aspect is the best part.”
In the upcoming weeks, Slade’s computer science team will continue to get ready for more contests.
“Preparing a lot is the most important part in making sure that we cover everything,” vonSeldeneck said. “There’s a lot of work that you have to put in beforehand, and if we work hard, we should be able to do well.”
