The beginning of the school year can be stressful for everyone, especially for the incoming freshmen starting high school and meeting new friends. The club fair is an opportunity to meet people who share similar interests, and it is unfortunate that it takes place more than a month into the school year.
“I participated in a lot of clubs, I think at Notre Dame there’s a bit of a culture that you kind of just sign up for any club that sounds interesting,” said senior Megan Worry.
When I started at NDB this school year, I was surprised that there was no talk of clubs. Eager for the opportunities to meet new people, I started to wonder when the club fair would be. I hoped to see all of the options available to me and find new ways to get involved in school and meet more people.
As a freshman starting high school, I hardly knew anyone. The stress of not knowing where to go or who to sit with can be overwhelming. Even if a club might not be the most active or meet regularly, it is still a chance to be a part of something at school and I feel like I have missed out.
Already being settled with friends more than a month into the school year has taken a toll on my excitement to join clubs because I have started to find my place within school. It would have been a great opportunity to meet people at the beginning of the year, but now a lot of time has passed and people have become friends already.
There is a lot that goes into starting a club up for the year, especially for those that do things outside of school. Running a club requires finding a teacher that is willing to supervise all year, coming up with activities and planning meetings for the members. This can be a lot of work, especially at the start of the year, but if students were willing to expedite the process, there would be lasting benefits. Freshmen would feel more motivated to get involved and would have a place to start socializing.
“I really enjoyed the club fair because I got to meet new people who were making the clubs,” said freshman Marta Luis.
Now that the club fair is over it’s important to think about how things would be if it had been closer to the start of the year, especially helpful to freshmen because it would give them a chance to get involved in high school life and participate in new activities with other students. Whether it is a community service club or one that meets to watch movies together, having a group of people with a shared interest is a very comforting thing when starting a new school year.
