Students flooded out of the chapel with the sound of the school’s a capella groups, Blue Notes and Calliope, ringing in their ears. As they entered the busy English Wing, club leaders welcomed both new and returning students.
More than 80 clubs, ranging from publications to affinity groups, set up tables throughout Main Hallway for the Club Fair last Friday. The Club Fair is an annual event that encourages students to learn about and join the school’s clubs. Anne Seaman ’20, co-head of St. Luke’s, said, “It’s nice to have [all of the clubs] in one place, so [new students] can see what they are interested in.”
According to Billy Meneses ’22, board member of St. Luke’s and BAHSA, clubs are an important part of student life on campus. Meneses said, “Clubs are important, because they are a way to form a closer bond with other members of our community and [connect us to] the community outside of Hotchkiss. [They are a great way] to learn more and…expand our view of the world.”
At the Club Fair, clubs tried to entice new and returning students to sign up for their email lists with a variety of techniques. For example, Blue and White members played music and dressed up in the school’s colors. The Speech and Debate team set up awards from past years at its table, and the Students for Environmental Action (SEA) handed out stickers featuring their logo. Elizabeth Oliver ’22 said, “I enjoyed seeing all of the different and new clubs that I have never thought of before.”
This year, Ms. Nora Yasumura, director of student clubs and affinity groups, and the Clubs Committee played a major part in organizing the fair. The Committee helped compile information about each club, supply materials for decorations, and provide resources for clubs to help reach more students.
At the end of the 2018-2019 school year, students had the opportunity to submit proposals for new clubs. Twelve clubs, including the Creative Music Association (CMA), Fitness Club, and Dance Club were accepted by the Club Committee and added to the school’s list of clubs.
The Committee is also working on solidifying a set of core values for the clubs program. Ms. Yasumura said, “The Clubs Committee is encouraging clubs to work more collaboratively and to be more intentional with their planning of events.”
As part of the Committee’s goal to ensure that each club is consistently active throughout the year, all heads of clubs were required to attend a Clubs Head Meeting on Monday, September 9. The meeting outlined the requirements each club must follow to guarantee it will be reinstated the following academic year.
For new students, the Club Fair was a window into a major part of the school’s extracurricular life. Beginning this week, individual club meetings will happen every night.