Crowds of students filled the hallway outside the cafeteria on Tuesday, Sept. 2 and Thursday, Sept. 4, as student leaders promoted dozens of groups offering ways to get involved, from National Honor Society to brand new clubs.
Club leaders used creative posters and flyers to attract students and show off their clubs.
Student Activities Coordinator Craig Alexander organizes the club fair and helps students start clubs and help them grow.
“A sign of a successful club fair would be making sure that all the students are involved,” Alexander said. “My main job is to create an environment for the students where they are comfortable being in currently established clubs and then also giving them a pathway to creating new clubs.”
Junior Jordan Uria and Senior Ethan Malek started the flag football club this year, and found that the club fair was a great way to recruit.
“We got to meet new people who were willing to give this club a try, which is our goal,” Uria Said. “It’s a great way to have fun and play some friendly, safe football while working together as a team with kids you may not know.”
Uria emphasized the flag football club’s welcoming environment.
“This club will help create new relationships for people while doing [something] fun,” he said. “No matter the grade, we want to bring everyone together.”
Some feel the club fair could be improved upon in order to help students find the club that is right for them.
“We used to have a few different clubs represented at open house,” Alexander said. “Parents could hear about a club and then guide their child towards that.”
“It could be improved by letting the club leaders miss class to meet students for lunch,” Uria said. “We were unable to go to 6th period lunch because we had class.”
The club fair gives students a chance to see everything the school has to offer in one place, making it very easy to find a group that aligns with their interests. On the other hand, it has never been easier for students to branch out and try new things outside of their comfort zone. When walking through the hallway, it’s clear how much variety there was, from brand new clubs to those that have been around for years.
Senior Meir Bickart, Co-President of the Israeli Culture Club, explained what the club means to him.
“My freshman year, the people who were running the club invited me and it’s something I cared about,” Bickart said. “I think [people] should join Israeli Culture Club if they’re willing to talk about somewhat difficult topics sometimes.”
Students have expressed their appreciation for the club fair as a way to help their clubs grow.
“It just spreads the message,” Bickart said. “It allows people who normally wouldn’t come to know about clubs.”
