The Student News Site of Westfield High School

Hi's Eye

The Student News Site of Westfield High School

Hi's Eye

The Student News Site of Westfield High School

Hi's Eye

Satire club has so much pun

by Eric Oberman

Clubs at WHS are usually founded to accomplish a goal or hold an event, but the Satire Club focuses on something more basic; a love of laughter.

Students should be on the lookout for the newly formed Satire Club, unless they want to to be ridiculed.

The club was founded at the beginning of this school year, and is advised by Physic Teacher Mr. Valentino Scipioni. Said club Co-Founder and President Danny
Gallagher: “The Satire club actually started out as sort of a joke—which I suppose fits the title.… But when we started thinking about it more, we realized the idea could actually form a really interesting club.”

Satire is wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly, according to merriam-webster.com. Accordingly, one of the focuses of the Satire Club is the value of satire beyond laughter.

“It’s not a straightforward understanding of humor. It’s almost qan analytical form of humor,” said Scipioni.

The club meets every Friday, and most meetings involve watching videos that the members find interesting. “We talk about why the video was satirical and how it was funny,” said club Co-Founder and President Ed Han. “But in all honesty, most of the time is spent laughing.”

According to Gallagher, one of the highlights of the club so far has been watching the Saturday Night Live skits parodying the presidential debates.

“Watching skits that both inform us—holding the candidates accountable for their plans’ flaws or inconsistencies—and allow us to have a great time seemed to embody the essence of what makes satire so great,” he said.

Going forward, the club wants to begin trying to raise money to fund subscriptions to video services and movie trips.

“We are planning on selling hot chocolate every friday during homeroom for the remainder of the winter season to WHS students,” said Han.

​Said Gallagher, “I like that satire is not singular; it is social commentary, entertainment, and art all rolled into one hell of a time.”

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