Panther Creek has 50+ clubs providing something for every type of student, from hobbies to academics to culture. Advisors try to select clubs that serve a purpose to the school community, providing us with a variety of clubs to support student needs and interests. Yet, the average student doesn’t know what goes into running clubs, and many aren’t in any clubs at all. So, how are clubs doing this year, and what’s going on behind the scenes?

With the return of SMART Lunch after Thanksgiving Break, clubs may take advantage of more opportunities and see more prospective members. Club presidents mentioned how the removal of SMART Lunch was a challenge, as many students are unwilling or unable to attend after-school meetings.

Even advisors have struggled with this, as some teachers are unavailable after school. Mr. Oakley, an advisor of the Multicultural Association and Future Government Club, essentially acts as the connection between the club board and the school administration, advising them on school policies and possible violations. He talked about the difficulty of balancing teaching, taking up clubs from unavailable teachers, and trying to provide for two clubs throughout the few possible meetings in the school year.

Online meetings have attempted to remedy the problem this year, but it can still be difficult for clubs with more hands-on interactive activities, such as NAHS.

Aditi is president of the National Art Honors Society. They conduct activities that are an intersection of service and art, such as painting portraits for orphans. As president, Aditi organizes activities, collects art, and keeps a record of members’ work. When asked which grades more often join clubs, she was surprised at the influx of seniors to NAHS this year compared to the usual underclassmen majority. She believes this could be due to more clubs being after school, as seniors are more likely to know about such clubs and can drive themselves.

Regardless of grade level, why are some students not joining clubs? Results from a PCNN poll give us a look into this issue. Half of all students polled were not in any clubs. Although many have attended interest meetings and have friends in clubs, the most common reason for not joining clubs was just not having enough interest.

Social media pages and word of mouth through friends have been successful in getting people interested and motivated to join clubs, but it is hard to reach a large audience. It can often result in most members being friends-of-friends, missing out on recruiting new voices, or being truly dedicated members. Mr. Oakley discussed how creating a welcoming environment, being charismatic, and focusing on deep interaction and engagement rather than numbers can be the best way to bring in those students who are possibly scared to join clubs because they aren’t within a certain circle of friends.

This is just one part of the shared sentiment between advisors and student club leaders. They want members who care and put effort into club activities, rather than students who only join because their friends told them or students wanting something appealing to put on college applications.

What does a club look like when you attract the right people? We spoke to Mark, president of the Jewish Student Alliance, about what draws people to join the club. “I think that because we’re a cultural club, the people that are joining care. Especially for us because there’s a lot of anti-Jewish hate at the school, so I think people actually care about coming to the club,” he says.

The JSA is one of the many new clubs this year and of the various cultural associations at PCHS. They are dedicated to cultivating a space for Jewish students to gather, celebrate their culture, and teach others about their culture. The club has only had one meeting but started strong with around 35 people attending. Mark says “if you truly find a topic that people are interested in and people care about, people will come and show up.” He also described the welcoming and friendly atmosphere of the JSA, giving a sense of community that makes people want to stay.

The perspective of a club president gives more depth to the question of why some students don’t join clubs. “I think some people don’t join clubs because they’re scared that maybe the people in the club won’t like me, maybe the club board won’t have a position, but I think people just have to overcome that because no one there wants to hurt them and it’s so much fun.”

The JSA plans to have speakers such as rabbis, do volunteer work, celebrate holidays, offer free food, and have more fun activities in the future, so consider joining their next meeting!

The Creative Writing Club just had its first SMART Lunch meeting of the year, and attendance skyrocketed from what it was during after-school meetings. Clubs are working hard to improve and make the best spaces for students to find learning opportunities, work together, make friends, and have fun. Now that SMART Lunch is back, support the clubs by checking one out during lunch!