Clubs

The American Civil War History Club meets several times throughout the school year in room 2W2. Meeting topics range from discussing Civil War battle strategies to tours at Forest Lawn Cemetery. For more information, contact Mr. Sam Rizzo ’97 at rizzo@canisiushigh.org.

The Anime Club meets once a week at Canisius. Students in the club watch Japanese animation movies or TV series. Students also attend conventions at local colleges, movie showings at theaters, and workshops at local libraries. For more information, contact Ms. Schaller at schaller@canisiushigh.org.

Art Club meets weekly. Members have open studio time for personal projects and cooperative work with like-minded artists. The art club also mentors students from St. Augustine school each spring and sponsors school-wide art projects such as the Annual Sidewalk Art Contest.  For more information, contact Ms. Ignaczak at ignaczak@canisiushigh.org.

The Auditorium Tech Crew is a team of dedicated students who work together to meet the lighting needs of events held in the CHS Auditorium. The crew provides illumination for drama and musical productions, school Masses and assemblies, award and graduation ceremonies, and school dances. For more information, contact Mr. Hayes at hayes@canisiushigh.org.

The Book Club meets once a month in the Library study room. Students in the club decide on a book to read and discuss each month.

All students are invited to join the CHS Chamber Choir.  The Chamber Choir is made up of CHS students and singers from local girls’ schools.  Besides performing choral music for mixed voices, the men of the Chamber Choir frequently present a cappella music on their own.  For more information, contact Mr. Durkin at durkink@canisiushigh.org.

The Chess Club meets almost every day in 1E3, where members stay after school to enjoy a few matches before heading home to study. Students in the Chess Club attend monthly tournaments at which they play against other high school teams.

The Canisius Climbing and Adventure Club is open to any student interested in rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing and a variety of other activities. Students will meet on designated Gold Periods to plan excursions and learn more about safety and best practices in the outdoors, including leave no trace principles. Every Thursday, after school, the club will meet at Central Rock Gym on Chicago Street in Buffalo to climb in the indoor climbing facility.  Students are responsible for the day fee as well as transportation to and from Central Rock Gym.  Mr. Beecher will be present at Central Rock Gym from 3:30-5:30. For more information, contact Mr. Dennis Beecher ’88 at beecher@canisiushigh.org.

Crusaders Against Cancer is a collection of Canisius students and teachers who work together raising money to aid in cancer research as well as educating our community on ways to be supportive of those suffering the effects of cancer. Some of our major fundraisers have included the Relay for Life benefitting the American Cancer Society, as well as our Annual 3v3 Basketball Tournament. This year we will be looking to expand into more community service opportunities and fundraisers through Roswell Park. Contact Mrs. Julie Hogan hogan@canisiushigh.org.

Crusaders for America’s Heroes are a group of students and faculty dedicated to raising awareness of and money for the vital work that WNYHeroes, Inc., does for veterans of all wars who live in the WNY region. We volunteer at the annual Red, White & Blue Gala, support families in the Adopt-a-Veteran-Family holiday program, and sponsor annual fundraisers and activities related to veterans’ issues. Contact Dr. Amy Kimmel at kimmel@canisiushigh.org.

The Culinary Club meets once a month. Local restaurant chefs are invited to the meetings to teach their favorite recipes to students. The Culinary Club also serves the community, cooking annually for the Ronald McDonald House. For more information, contact Ms. Luciana Galante at galante@canisiushigh.org.

The Drama Guild is comprised of students interested in participating in CHS theatrical productions. Students in the Guild participate as actors, singers, dancers, musicians, stage crew personnel, set construction and painting personnel, makeup artists, and stage managers. The Guild puts on a drama or comedy in the fall semester and a musical in the spring semester. For more information, please contact Mr. Hayes at hayes@canisiushigh.org.

The Canisius eSports Club is a club founded by a group of friends who compete against each other and other schools. We compete in online video games in organized tournaments. Through these competitions, we establish goals, build teamwork, and communication skills. For more information, contact Mr. Eric Amodeo ’94 at amodeo@canisiushigh.org.

The Hip Hop and R&B Club meets for 1 hour once a week. Students in the club meet to discuss the genres of music, listen to and write music together. Students of all musical aptitude are encouraged to join; whether you are a vocalist, producer, or rapper there is room for everyone. For more information contact Mr. Kevin Durkin at durkin@canisiushigh.org.

The Jazz ensemble meets before school and plays a varied jazz repertoire. The ensemble performs at various events throughout Western New York for community members as well as school functions. Students can join the ensemble upon auditioning. For more information, contact Ms. Jennifer Johnson at johnson@canisiushigh.org.

MasterMinds is Canisius’ academic quiz bowl team. In this competition, teams from area high schools compete against each other in a question-and-answer-style game. The season runs from October through April, and Canisius has both a varsity and a junior varsity team. For more information, contact Ms. Mia Lamarco at lamarco@canisiushigh.org.

Medical Club provides students insight into the medical field and specific knowledge on how to pursue careers in medicine. Activities have included lectures and guest speakers as well as visits to hospitals, medical campuses, medical schools, and research labs. In support of UNYTS, medical club student ORGANizers, plans various events throughout the year with a focus on increasing awareness about organ, tissue, and blood donation among peers. Blood drives planned in conjunction with the Upstate New York Transplant Services support this objective. For more information about medical club / student ORGANizers contact Nurse Keating at keating@canisiushigh.org or Mrs. Annette Sugg at sugg@canisiushigh.org. For more information about UNYTS Blood Drives, contact Mrs. Annette Sugg at sugg@canisiushigh.org.

The Mock Trial team meets on various weekday evenings from November through March. The Mock Trial season is centered around a single, hypothetical case. Students fill roles as attorneys and witnesses for both sides of the case, and competitions against other schools in the Erie County tournament offer a chance to test students’ argumentation, speaking, and acting skills. For more information, contact Mr. Bryce Hopkins ‘08 at hopkins@canisiushigh.org.

National Honor Society invites students to apply for membership during the spring semester of junior year. Applications are reviewed by a faculty council and are considered on the basis of the four NHS characteristics: scholarship, service, leadership, and character. NHS members volunteer at various events throughout the school year. For more information, contact Mrs. Erin Conley at conley@canisiushigh.org and Mrs. Ann Marie Moscovic at moscovic@canisiushigh.org.

The Pep Band is our student ensemble of instrumentalists who play at sporting events to entertain and energize spectators. For more information, contact Ms. Jennifer Johnson at johnson@canisiushigh.org.

The Press Corps offers students opportunities to develop their photography, video, or writing talents by photographing, creating videos, or writing about what's happening at school. Their work may be published on the school's social media, website, or printed materials. For more information, contact Mr. Keith McShea, Canisius director of communications, at McShea@canisiushigh.org.

The Canisius Robotics Teams competes against other schools through organized scrimmages and tournaments. We work with students to build complete teams, working collaboratively toward a common goal.  As a school, we have chosen to compete using the VEX EDR platform. For more information, contact Mrs. Karen Nicosia at nicosia@canisiushigh.org.

The CHS Science Olympiad offers opportunities for students to compete at the local, regional, and state levels in 25 different events covering all scientific disciplines and principles of engineering. The two CHS teams practice twice a week from September to March and multiple competitions each year. For more information, contact Mrs. Lisa Schrader at schrader@canisiushigh.org.

Ski Club takes place 8 Fridays after school in the winter. On these cold, snowy days, the members of the club take busses from CHS to Holiday Valley before hitting the slopes. At the end of the evening, participating students are bussed back to CHS. For more information, contact Mr. Dennis Beecher '88 at beecher@canisiushigh.org.

Usually played two versus two, with a net placed on the ground between the teams, spikeball can almost be considered volleyball’s distant cousin. One player serves the ball down onto the net so that it ricochets off toward an opposing team member, who has to bounce it back to the other players; this goes on, back and forth, until someone misses and the opposing team scores.  With teams popping up at Colleges and Universities around the nation, CHS Spikeball Club is a great way to enjoy the camaraderie and friendly competition of the roundnet sport in a recreational setting. For more information, contact Mr. Bryce Hopkins ’08 at hopkins@canisiushigh.org.

Ultimate is a player officiated non-contact team-sport that emphasizes teamwork, endurance, speed, agility, and hand-eye coordination. The recreational disc club at CHS is athletically developmental and promotes camaraderie and sportsmanship. For more information, contact Mr. Dennis Beecher ’88 at beecher@canisiushigh.org.

The CHS Wall Street Club meets in M104 once a week after school. Students in the club are given 100,000 fictional dollars to play against other local high school teams. For more information, contact Mr. Michael Magnuson at magnuson@canisiushigh.org and Mr. Scott Walters walters@canisiushigh.org

The CHS Writers’ Club meets for two hours twice a month. Students in the club use this time for writing exercises and to share original projects in order to garner constructive criticism. Some members of Writers’ Club also participate in National Novel Writing Month, in which they are challenged to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. For more information, contact Dr. Amy Kimmel at kimmel@canisiushigh.org.