As a result of distance learning, U-High club leaders have had to adjust their expectations, goals and activities for the year. 

After clubs put together recruitment videos and written descriptions for club shopping, which was the week of Sept. 14-18, around 275 requests were submitted from students expressing interest in joining at least one club, according to Dean of Students Ana Campos.

Ms. Campos said she was pleased with the turnout, emphasizing the importance of joining clubs this year. 

“I want students to find ways to connect with other students, and one way we can do that is through classes,” she said, “but what I love about clubs, people get to pick and it’s based on their hobbies and interests in a more relaxed setting.”

Some clubs, including the debate team, relied on their reputation to recruit members. 

“Thirty to 40 people showed up to our first meeting, which was before club shopping. We can kind of rely on our reputation to get new members,” captain Andrada Nicolae said. “Most people go into high school knowing about debate because everyone hears about it.”

Continuing from last spring, the debate team holds virtual practices and participates in competitions. Although the debaters adjusted well to the virtual format, the club has struggled to foster relationships between old club members and new ninth graders according to Andrada.

“My main goal for the year is cultivating the emotional investment in debate that I had as a freshman,” Andrada said. “The team made debate special for me, and I hope it will make debate special for all our new members.”

For new clubs such as the Multi-Ethnic Student Association, the challenge comes from recruitment itself. 

“We’re a smaller club, but we have some new members this year. We would also love for people to bring their friends and pop in,” club president Lucy Nathwani said. 

MESA hopes to participate in virtual or even in-person Martin Luther King and Social Justice Week assemblies and activities later this year.

However, many service clubs, such as the Refugee Awareness Club, faced more challenges with distance learning. 

Club president Viviana Glick said about the difficulties of transferring to a virtual setting. While their weekly meetings haven’t changed much, larger events the club was planning will look different. 

“One of the most important parts of service clubs is fundraising and collection drives. In a virtual setting, that’s a challenge,” Viviana said. “We are trying to set up an online fundraising event where we can sell T-shirts and still give 100% of profits to the charity.”

While the Refugee Awareness Club was able to find a replacement for in-person activities, the Robotics Team has struggled to do the same. The need for school resources has led the club to advocate for in-person meetings. 

“You can’t build a robot at home, so we’re planning on meeting at Lab using the makerspace, cafeteria and senior lounge,” captain Nicholas Pietraszek said. 

The team leaders are exploring ways to engage all members, whether that be having team members code, or even drive the robot from home.

Nicholas hopes the team can build on their success from last year, as it was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

If students want to join clubs but missed the original sign-up form sent out by Ms. Campos, they can contact club leaders directly. 

Ms. Campos hopes that eventually, all clubs will be able to meet on campus just like the Robotics Team.

She said, “My priority is to bring students to campus in-person to be able to see one another for different events.”