Clubs rush for recruits
This year, Club Rush was filled to the brim with students excited to explore new clubs and interest groups eager to gain new members, selling everything from red clown noses to acai bowls and boxes of pizza. Packed in the gym because of the Santa Ana winds, a plethora of new and old clubs alike had the opportunity to recruit and fundraise, including Habitat for Humanity, KPop Dance, and Relay for Life.
Surrounded in pizza boxes up to their shoulders, the Habitat for Humanity booth, headed by Treasurer Anna Li, had a line for their pizza that spanned halfway across the gym. “We’re basically a service club that raises money for bigger projects,” Li said. “Right now, we’re mostly focused on accumulating more money through a variety of fundraisers.”
“We were just founded this year,” Li said. “We all have a passion to contribute to affordable housing across the U.S. and maybe even internationally.” Habitat for Humanity meets in room B8 every Friday, where they discuss their plans for the year and any new projects.
On the other side of the gym, KPop Dance members dutifully stood by their booth, offering their sign up sheet to everyone that passed by. On their Tuesday meetings in the GAR, they “learn multiple dances from different artists or specific choreographers,” president Nathalie Jimenez, senior, explained.
Even though it was only created this year, the team is already spirited. “I really enjoy learning dances from KPop but I didn’t have anyone else to dance it with,” Jimenez added.
With the support of adviser Cameo Carolan, their goal is for every club member to feel welcome and safe. “I really like that even though the dance moves can be kind of complicated (the club is) really patient. There’s no judgment at all,” Jimenez said. “(It’s) cool to teach others and also get to know other people who are interested and just, basically come together as a team.”
Right at the entrance to the gym, a different type of athletic club handed out homemade cookies for free with the promise of a Remind sign-up and a follow on Instagram. Relay for Life meets in room D-24 every other Monday starting in January.
“Our club was created to create a team at the Relay for Life event that takes place in May at the Conejo Creek field to represent Newbury Park and our desire to fight back against cancer,” Madeline Shain, senior, explained.
“Last year, we helped raise over 70,000 dollars at the event in total,” Kayla Brandes, senior, added.
“We really like that it’s a really great group of people, it’s not too overbearing or strict or anything,” Shain said. “It’s pretty chill and we all just have a good time thinking of ideas and raising money together and then at the very end, the event Relay for Life is obviously the best part of it all.”
This year, the official 24-hour long Relay for Life event will be held in Conejo Creek Park from May 16 to 17. “The event itself is something that’s really special to all of us… during that event there’s like live performances, there’s other people still raising money by selling things there. Then, there’s this beautiful luminaria ceremony,” Brandes said. “That really hits close to home for me because my mom had cancer. It’s just a really nice thing to see.”
This year, it seems there may be a club or interest group for every student regardless of their interests
