From dawn until dusk, students are racing through life, competing for a position at school and beyond. In the midst of all this chaos, Sugar Code It provides students with a welcoming space to unleash their creativity while honing their competitive edge in the ever-evolving educational landscape in the field of engineering and computer science.
At Sugar Code It, students can engage in collaborative projects, explore new ideas, and enjoy the thrill of learning, all while nurturing their unique talents in an inspiring environment. Their sponsor is Ms. Holm and the meetings are held in room 2102 on Monday’s.
“I feel that in an engineering environment, without the stress of competitions, if you just have free reign you can explore your interests and do a better job than you would if you were stressed about completing a goal that was given to you,” Event Coordinator Isha Marakani said. “Because the point of being an engineer is to find problems and solve them, not to be given a problem and solve it.”
Many students are often hesitant to join computer science clubs because they feel that they lack the necessary skills to compete. Sugar Code It offers an alternative by encouraging students to work on independent projects, fostering their thinking and passion for their fields of interest rather than competing against one another.
“I noticed a lot of people in school didn’t participate in computer science or engineering,” club president Arya Ahmadi said. “Specifically because they didn’t like competition, they didn’t like the stress or the studying. So I was thinking why didn’t we just do projects? I mean, I feel like people learn more, but it’s also a more relaxed environment as well.”
“The Power Of Research Projects in College Applications”, an essay by Janos Perczel, states that research helps students to stand out in college admissions. Taking the initiative to work on a project independently showcases not only dedication and passion but also a deep commitment to one’s chosen field of interest. 
Sugar Code It embraces this philosophy by providing students with the freedom to imagine, plan, and develop their own unique projects, all while adhering to their self-established guidelines.
“In the beginning, we’re probably going to start somewhat beginner-friendly,” Ahmadi said. “And then we’re going to slowly progress into more intermediate and advanced subjects with more real-world applications, so you can kind of think of it like a capstone project.”
Perczel also wrote that grades are a “terrible indicator” of a students’ future success – Sir John Gurdon, Nobel Prize winner in medicine, ranked last of the 250 students in his year group in Biology. Sugar Code It emphasizes on the non-competitive nature of learning, allowing students to not be limited to a certain course.
“I feel like there will definitely be a good response to this club, especially for the freshmen who aren’t skilled enough to go to competitions,” Sophomore Trisha Sahu said. “So I feel this is an amazing opportunity, especially for the freshmen. But for juniors and seniors, I feel like they would rather go into the competing clubs instead.”
Sahu stated that this club is “creative,” “collaborative,” and “inclusive”. She found it to be far more engaging than the other clubs she has participated in previously, highlighting the unique and dynamic atmosphere that sets it apart.
“I feel like we are just coding about every day,” Sahu said. “But with this club, it’s way more engaging because we don’t do the same thing every day. Like last meeting, we had the marshmallow structure activity and I’m pretty sure we’re not going to do that but we’ll do something new and better the next meeting.”
The club actively promotes awareness of extracurricular activities among its members. Ahmadi pointed out that numerous talented individuals possess strong coding skills yet remain oblivious to the various extracurricular opportunities they could explore.
“I know a lot of people who just don’t know about extracurriculars,” Ahmadi said. “So since we put flyers up when we adequately advertise, people are going to know about it. And I talked with my friends, Isha talked with her friends in the officers’ network so that people get access to the club, and it’s also free on other capstone projects.”
Marakani highlights a distinctive feature of this club: it uniquely integrates both computer science and engineering, setting it apart from other organizations. Furthermore, the club prides itself on promoting a diverse and vibrant community.
“I feel like our school has so many students that have so many different skills, and none of them are explored,” Marakani said. “They are so driven in this academic mindset, with their need to win, that they can’t really explore their passions and things that could really be useful in the future. So I feel like here [at Sugar Code It] they can do that, which is something that you don’t find in a lot of schools.”
