On Sept. 9 and 10, students flooded the gymnasium in search of new clubs and opportunities.
Club Rush is an annual school event where students get to learn about and sign up for student-led clubs, during lunch. Traditionally, club officers set up and decorate tables pertaining to their club. As students walk by, they can talk to the officers to learn more about what each club has to offer.
This year, Club Rush was broken up into two days to avoid overcrowding. Underclassmen raided the room first, then the upperclassmen. This event allows students to get more information about the school’s student-led organizations and how to become involved through the plethora of clubs offered on campus.
Club Rush featured displays from over 80 different clubs, which is double the number that participated during last year’s virtual event.
Prior to the event, SGA worked behind the scenes to organize transcripts of the gymnasium space, while ensuring safety protocols for students and staff. They organized and provided a table for each of the present clubs.
“It was a great start to Dreyfoos normalcy,” communications senior and SGA President Christian Chantayan said. “The passionate environment is back.”
According to SGA, COVID-19 took an extreme toll on school spirit. The lack of participation and opportunities for students to engage within the community was concerning and taken into consideration by SGA for this year’s preparation.
Club officers and SGA Council stayed after school Wednesday, Sept. 8 to prepare for their new members. The officers decorated large poster boards and accompanied their club tables with decorative balloons.
The visual representation of the decorated gymnasium’s perimeter has thrilled SGA officers for future events and opportunities in person.
“I’m excited for what [SGA] have to offer for the rest of the school year,” Chantayan said.
The freshman class was not the only group experiencing club rush live for the first time. The excitement and anticipation continued through students like theatre sophomore Hannah Shea, as she was also unfamiliar to this school tradition due to last year’s remote learning.
“I had no idea what I was walking into or what to expect,” Shea said.
Principal Bennett also participated for the first time last week. Bennett emphasized her pride to be part of such an “exciting culture” over the intercom the following Monday morning.
The Collective performed their band’s debut live on Friday’s final day of Club Rush to showcase their new campus band and school spirit it entails.
“I just can’t explain it … ,” theatre senior and guitar artist Ben Krieger said with a grin. “We were all jamming out. It feels so good to be back.”
The successful turnout of Club Rush has led students to further engage with peers who share similar interests on campus, and grow a better understanding of the diverse student cultures.
“Seeing everybody smiling and singing [in the gym] really just gave me a better understanding of what our school has to offer,” Krieger said. “I am so lucky.”
Set Up
Last Wednesday, club officers stayed after school to prepare for the annual Club Rush. They decorated their tables with colorful balloons, posters, and candy to accompany their designated table. As SGA Co-President, communications senior Christian Chantayan was responsible for helping set up the gym and organize the logistics for the event. “Many students weren’t able to find sponsors for their club, and many students separately came up with duplicate club ideas, so SGA had to find club sponsors and help merge similar clubs,” Chantayan said. “It was a lot. I’m just glad I have an amazing team of people who stepped up when we needed them in order to make it happen.”
Day 1
Freshmen and sophomores flooded the gymnasium on Sept. 9 for Day 1 of Club Rush. This was their first time being able to participate in a live setting. “I thought it was a great way to get people included in things, and I really liked it,” theatre freshman George Bostin said.
Day 2
On Sept. 10, juniors and seniors attended the second and final day of Club Rush. Theatre senior and guitarist for The Collective Ben Krieger performed live during the event alongside the rest of the band, consisting of communications seniors Kaja Andric on drums and Natalie Macadar as the lead singer. “The vibe was definitely back,” Krieger said. “It felt so good to be performing again with an audience.”
