The RBHS Club Fair was held Sept. 12 during A and B lunches in the main hallway, giving over 40 clubs and organizations the opportunity to find students with similar interests.
The event showcased a wide variety of clubs, some new looking to draw in possible members, and some looking to continue expanding and find new ways to engage students. The event was almost entirely run by students with few teachers involved, allowing for connections to be made throughout the RBHS student population.
Dr. Megan Klukowski, Meteorology club sponsor and English teacher, attended the event alongside the club president and other members to share their interests with students. The club was only created within a week of the fair, and the group used the opportunity to seek out new members, as did many of the clubs, old and new. Although Klukowski believed the fair was a great way of encouraging RBHS to get involved, she said that she wished it could continue for longer, as not all students got to participate.
“One of the only downsides of [the Club Fair] is with AUT,” Klukowski said. “People who are on an AUT, or upperclassmen who may leave for lunch, might be missing this opportunity. But, if you’re interested in being in a club, then this is the best way to do it.”
Senior Carter Fairlamb also attended the club fair and worked the Model UN table. The club is not as new as some of the others at the event, but Fairlamb said they are always looking for students who are interested in representing a country and their issues. Because members have the option to choose their country and topic, Fairlamb said he hoped it would draw people in, as it allows them to speak on something that truly interests them.
Though the group started small, Model UN left the Club Fair with a long list of students interested in joining — fulfilling the club’s goal of expanding, and showing the overall effectiveness of the event.
“[The Club Fair] is important because it teaches people what opportunities they have,” Fairlamb said. “It shows [them] that there is so much more to Rock Bridge than just classes and going to football games, [which] allows for a lot of extracurricular involvement.”
Furthermore, principal Jacob Sirna said he appreciated how the event was set up almost entirely by the students, with only minimal help from administrators. He also noted that because of this student-based focus, the main hallway was filled with people looking to get involved in an extracurricular group.
“High school is a place where there’s something for everybody,” Sirna said. “The idea is that you can walk through that space and find three or four things you’re interested in. It’s good for the high school experience emotionally and socially — it’s [important] to be connected.”
The 2023 Club Fair showcased the wide variety of clubs offered at RBHS, ranging from Elementary United to Spanish Honors Society. With a high turnout, members of these clubs were able to connect with many students sharing their interests, and create an even more diverse community within the school.
“Being involved gives people a place to belong,” Klukowski said. “It creates a network of people that are here to support and love each other with a common interest, and that creates a kind of environment that really is Rock Bridge.”
Did you attend the club fair this year? Let us know what you think of the event in the comments below.
