Unified Champions will have its second meeting on Friday, Mar. 1 in the cafeteria during flex. All students are welcome to attend and bring a friend.

“We are trying to bring more people together and encourage others to be more involved,” sophomore Victoria Madero-Castaneda, a leader in the club, said.

Unified Champions, a new club at McNeil, hopes to unite and include every type of student, especially students with special needs who often are overlooked and misunderstood. The club is seeking students who want to be a part of a community.

“This club is important because it strives to make good changes in the school community and helps educate students about different types of students,” Madero-Castaneda said.

The second meeting will be different from the first meeting. Students will split into three groups, and each group will have its own activity ranging from athletics to board games. Students will be able to choose the group they want to be a part of.

“At the meeting, we also will come up with ideas and plan the next club meetings,” Madero-Castaneda said. “We want this club to grow.”

At the second meeting, students can pair with students with special needs and play games like Uno, Jenga, Connect 4 and more. The second group will go to the outside cafeteria patio for a human-size Connect 4 and there will be different types of balls to throw around in the grass area of the patio. The third group will be in the small gym and play basketball or play Simon Says or another active game.

“This club can change the experiences for students — especially those who are not as connected to the school,” Madero-Castaneda said. “Everyone should come.”

For a future meeting, the group leaders hope to invite clubs to become a part of the activities and support the students. The club also hopes to institute regular in-formal Friday meetings during flex in the J-Wing classrooms to make connections and keep friendships growing.