Here at Torrance High School there are a variety of different activities, clubs, and extracurriculars to involve yourself in. These very things can tend to take up much of your time and energy as a student. Despite the fact that school is meant to teach students valuable skills, the high school experience is much more than just going to your six classes and completing the workload you are assigned. At Torrance High, extracurricular activities are encouraged, as they not only can build your resume for the future, but it can maximize your enjoyment throughout your four years. An important component of Torrance High is its club involvement, as there are weekly meetings in classrooms of students participating in all different types of clubs, varying from Faith of Christian Athletes to Pickleball Club to put into perspective the diversity of these programs. Although the vast majority of these clubs require no application process or requirements, as all it takes to join is a simple Remind code, not all of them share this very quality.

As a member, I acknowledge that Tartar Ladies is an exception, as you must go through an entire application process of two phases. First is a paper application with a written essay portion stating why you would like to join the club, and what makes you qualified to do so. If you pass this portion of the application, you then need to have an in person interview with the Tartar Ladies cabinet members where questions are asked to reveal your character. This process is always competitive as there are many applicants, but only a hand-picked number of ladies are chosen to represent the most prestigious club at Torrance High for exceptional females. Tartar Ladies sounds like a great place to be, but what even is the club? We are most likely recognized as the girls who wear dresses and a cardigan to school every first of the month, as we are required to dress semi-formal for every meeting and service hour event, but this is nowhere near the meaning of the club. Thankfully, Tartar Ladies has its own website, stating this exactly, “Torrance High Tartar Ladies is a community service club dedicated to encouraging school spirit and unification, as well as serving for the improvement of Torrance High School and the city of Torrance.” This perfectly describes the club, as each member’s responsibility is to represent Torrance High in an exemplary manner through our constant efforts. The main element of this club is service hours, due to the strict policy of all members completing a minimum of 18 merits per semester, as one merit is equivalent to one service hour. We proudly assist the city of Torrance in events as this is what brings the opportunity to complete our merits. Tartar Ladies usually participates in all types of events across Torrance, even venturing out to Gardena for a yearly Obon Festival. Our cabinet consists of nine ladies who hold their own position, coming together in unison for the benefit of the club. Every club and organization has its president, but in Tartar Ladies, we have our queen. Megan Yanase (2026) is a student who represents Tartar Ladies in ASB and is our overall queen! She is the example for all new and current ladies as she is the proud head of the club for the 2025-2026 school year. “Being the queen of Tartar Ladies means representing our club’s values of service, leadership, and unity while leading by example.” Yanase’s (2026) devoted nature to this club has created a positive environment for the present and future of tartar ladies. Although this is a serious program to be a part of, Yanase (2026) still cracks some jokes and knows how to be fun! Take it from her when she says, “Tartar Ladies stands out because it builds a strong sense of sisterhood among our members while emphasizing meaningful service and leadership beyond just volunteer hours.”

This group of ladies is far more than just a voluntary club to sit pretty on our resumes, but it is a great opportunity to improve the city of Torrance with our persistent character, unity and hard work.  Look for your opportunity to apply in May.