High school is a community, made of people from widely different backgrounds and experiences coming together for five days a week, every week. What makes school different, though, is that this community has communities forming within it, and each of these groups has its own goal. They’re called clubs, and the craziest part? Students are in complete control of them.
But how do they do it? English Second Language and Curing the Future president Diya Varrier has a simple formula for people who want to start a club of their own.
“First, you want to make sure that you have a purpose for the club. There’s a lot of students here that want to make a club but don’t have an idea for what they want to do with it,” Varrier said. “Have a common goal or something to work towards and accomplish, because that will make it easier for you to create events. You’ll definitely enjoy running the club more.”
On the other hand, students can inherit a club from someone else, often when the former board graduates. Health Occupations Students of America president Meera Shreedhar explained more on the topic.
“I really liked what HOSA had done and the overall message, so when the previous board members had all graduated, I simply asked if anyone was taking it over,” Shreedhar said. “When they said no, I offered myself up and here we are.”
However, claiming ownership of a club is just the first step. Next comes the most crucial part: building it into a community. A lack of support is the main reason that clubs around OPHS die out throughout the school year.
“Advertising is important, or at least making sure that you have a good amount of supporters that want to come to your meetings and participate in whatever events you create,” Varrier said.
You have to get your club out there, but how? Well, according to Modern Campus, a combination of physical posters and flyers, a group of your friends to join and even a social media presence is a good start.
“After some of our friends signed up, we searched for people who shared our interest in cubing,” Rubik’s Cube club co-president Adyant Borhade said. “We also actively advertised during club sign-up week, which added up to more than enough people to create a proper club.”
Yet the process isn’t over yet. While gathering sign ups is essential, they mean nothing if people only attend the first meeting. After all, running a club doesn’t end on the first day.
“People signed up to learn to solve the Rubik’s cube, so we had to make sure to deliver on that promise. Otherwise, they wouldn’t come back. Fortunately, we had a successful first meeting, and the club is running smoothly today,” Borhade said.
The same can be applied for any successful organization on campus, including clubs to come in the future. Generally, hosting consistent and rewarding meetings and events for club members is the best way to retain support. If the board of officers is inactive, the club’s members will be too.
Overall, running a prosperous club takes a lot of effort, but it is more often than not worth the commitment. Clubs at Oak Park High School represent communities, shared goals and working towards a better future. All it takes to start your own is just one step at a time.
