Story by Sofia Alva
Staff Writer
Photo by Oscar Walsh
Staff Photographer
Clubs have adapted from their typical in-person meetings to a virtual setting as distance learning continues, and ASB held the annual student-led Club Rush through Zoom for the first time since its creation. Each club presented in its own breakout room instead of the traditional booth set-up throughout the week of Monday, Sept. 28.
Students joined the main Zoom call and then chose which of the over 60 clubs they wanted to learn more about — a system that yielded mixed results.
“The process for organizing Club Rush was a bit chaotic this year,” ASB Commissioner of Clubs Logan Bishop said. “It was challenging getting the entire student body aware of the event but on the other hand, it was easier on club presidents as they didn’t have to set up booths and students could visit clubs they were interested in with few conflicts.”
The format of Club Rush this year was also a new experience for freshmen at SPHS.
“I learned about a lot of cool clubs that I liked but it was definitely different than what I was expecting,” freshman Twyla Metcalfe said. “I liked that you could choose your own breakout rooms on the Zoom but the organization of it all was a bit confusing. I really liked how most of the clubs I visited tried to transfer their ideas to online.”
Amidst coronavirus restrictions, many students have looked to social media to re-energize past clubs and start new ones. Club leaders have utilized posts, videos, and graphics on Instagram to engage their members and update the student body. Newly formed club Generation Menstruation has taken advantage of the change in platform to reach wider audiences outside of SPHS, and it has already hosted the “Periods Don’t Stop for Pandemics” drive for menstrual products the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 3.
“This drive was our way of helping others in their time of need,” Generation Menstruation co-president Brynn Buckley said. “We chose [to help] the Downtown Women’s Center [this time, and] we plan on having more drives quarterly as we feel they are a great way to help out menstruators everywhere! We also plan on having educational workshops where students can discuss and disassemble the stigma surrounding a period.”
Clubs new and old are gearing up for a year of online activities and events to maintain the extracurricular tradition and engage students amidst the monotony of distance learning.
