Finding Stories at Mountain View
Everyone has a story to tell. At Mountain View High School, students have many opportunities to discover, create, and share those stories. Whether through writing, games, photography, performance, or literature, creative students can find places to turn their ideas into something others can experience.
One of the newest opportunities is Strategy Club, where students can tell stories through board games and Dungeons & Dragons. D&D, in particular, lets students create characters, build worlds, develop plots, and collaborate on adventures. Even students who have never considered themselves writers can become storytellers by deciding who their character is and helping shape the story as it unfolds. Board games offer a different kind of storytelling, challenging players to make decisions and create their own experiences.
For students who prefer putting their stories on paper, Mountain View offers several publications. The Prowl Publishing literary magazine gives students a space to share poetry, short stories, artwork, and other creative works. The Viewpoint newspaper allows students to tell the stories of the Mountain View community through articles, interviews, and coverage of school events. Meanwhile, the Cat’s Eye yearbook preserves the stories of an entire school year through photography, writing, design, and student memories.
Storytelling also happens through reading. The Café Book Club allows students to discuss books, characters, themes, and the different ways authors construct their stories. Similarly, the Battle of the Books team brings students together around literature through reading and competition. Both activities let students experience stories from the reader's perspective while connecting with others who share that interest.
For students who prefer a more hands-on form of storytelling, other creative outlets include the Art and Ceramics clubs and the Sorry in Advance! Improv troupe, and the Wild Acts theater department. A piece of art can communicate an idea, represent an experience, or give someone a way to express themselves without words.
At Mountain View, being a storyteller does not require sitting down and writing a novel. Stories can be created through a D&D campaign, captured in a yearbook photograph, written in a newspaper article, or discussed over a book. The opportunities are as varied as the students themselves. Ultimately, these clubs and activities offer more than another extracurricular: they give students an audience, a community, and a chance to make their voices heard. At Mountain View, every creative student has the opportunity to find their story and share it.
