Candy scattered across tables, trifolds dripped out in color and QR codes, countless pens being passed around, and scribbled sign up sheets filling up. Jesuit’s annual club fair is a yearly institution for candy lovers and club goers, and a nerve racking experience for the many club leaders that rely on the fair to gather new club members each year.
While the location moves each year, the energy is consistent.
“[The Club Fair is a] great opportunity for underclassmen to get a feel for what Jesuit will look like for the next four years,” Jewish Student Union leader Jack Goldstein said.
Each club board represents a community in Jesuit, with almost the entire school showing up and new boards appearing each year. Ms. Lauren Lakey, director of activities at Jesuit, is a big fan of the club fair.
“Not so often do we get to see student’s interest on a display,” she said. “It’s really fun to see students connect over shared interests.”
Even after filling up multiple sign up sheets, club leaders must tackle the challenge of getting students to show up.
One adjustment for club leaders: club meetings are going to look a little different as the FLEX period is undergoing a small revision. Tuesdays are designated for club meetings unless there is a scheduled assembly, and Thursdays are designated for open FLEX or community events.
This means that assemblies will generally only occur on Tuesdays. Additionally, each club will have a designated room that they are required to meet in so students can count on clubs consistently meeting at the same place and time. They can also count on Thursday FLEX for designated time to study for tests, meet with teachers, or catch up with friends they have no classes with.
The hope is that students will be able to walk around on Tuesdays and join any club meeting that they see happening in classrooms. Club leaders put a lot of effort into each meeting, and with the consistent time and place for clubs to meet at least once a month will hopefully drive attendance up and give students the opportunity to explore their interests regularly.
This year, many creative and unique clubs were created, such as Baking club, Curly Hair club, Skill Builders Society (learn skills like how to tie a tie), and even a Jesuit Cheese Society.
For Ms. Amanda Montez, director of Jesuit’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office, the increasing number of clubs each year means that every student can find someone who shares their passion, interest, or culture. The DEI office started with just six affinity clubs, and this year it has reached seventeen.
“This place feels super big,” Montez said. “We want to make sure that we offer programs that reach smaller groups of students and larger groups.”
With the influx of so many clubs each year, it has always been a challenge to gain a foothold in a strong attendance. This year with more clubs than ever–and just one time to meet, it may prove to be even more difficult.
Ms. Montez added that students should be looking forward to the many club collaborations and potlucks that are planned for this year.
One planned event is a “Rice Off” between affinity clubs, planned by the Asian Student Union.
“Rice is something that unifies so many different cultures,” Montez said.
Furthermore, at the start of the second semester there will be a second club fair. A brand new event this year, Ms. Lakey is hoping that this will give students another chance to join the many communities in Jesuit, or start one if they didn’t get a chance in the first semester.
“Clubs are ever changing based on student interest,” Ms. Montez added. “What a gift it is to be part of a growing community.”
Linked here is a list of all the clubs this year, their designated rooms, and the club leaders’ emails. To get added to the email list of a club, just email one of the leaders or simply show up at their designated room during Tuesday FLEX to join a meeting.
