West Orange High School (WOHS) has a new club that focuses on a topic that is not discussed often: coding. The Coding Club has just started its first year at WOHS and will meet four times a month. Computer Science and Java teacher Mr. Leach is the club advisor, who created the Coding Club as a new way for students to be engaged in coding other than video games. This club is considered a newer version of the school’s former Video Game Designer´s Club.

“I wanted to offer students the chance to make a program outside the curriculum that might be closer to something that they would want to work on at home and in the off hours, like apps and video games,” stated Leach, “I think we’ll do well. It’s the first year that we’ve opened it up beyond video games and we have generated a lot of new interests and talent.”

The direction of the club is based on the students’ interests in what they would like to code, such as a video game version of the party game, Mafia, and other apps. Coding can go into apps, video games, and anything on a computer.

Aside from the wide range of things students can code, coding is now becoming a major job industry within our country. States and school districts across the country have been highly encouraging their students to be part of a coding class or club, with some even making computer science a requirement for high school graduation.

“I think it’s important because everyone has a phone, computer, tablet, or electronic device, and to know what it’s doing behind the scenes as opposed to what you see is not only a new take on those devices, but helpful going forward into the future,” stated Mr. Leach.

Coding Club meetings are held on alternate Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 4th in room 1154. Reach out to Mr. Leach [email protected] or visit him in room 1154 if you have any questions.