by Nicholas Diaz
Principal David Pugh poses with students at the 2022 Club Fair. (photo by: Brother Eladio)
On Wednesday, Christopher Columbus High School hosted its annual Club Fair in the cafeteria and L building. Club members and officers presented poster boards, trophies, banners, and more for the 65+ clubs that Columbus offers. Columbus boasts a wide variety of clubs, ranging from regulars such as Drama, Speech and Debate, and Yearbook to more uncommon clubs like Fantasy Sports, Star Wars, and Paintball. This club diversity presents students with a myriad of options for extracurricular involvement on campus.
On this diversity, Mr. Pugh said, “I think we’ve got probably the most diverse group of clubs I’ve ever seen in the school’s history and probably more so than most high schools… Every young man at this school deserves to have an experience they are happy with… The more activities that we can offer, the broader that experience.”
Students definitely seem to be enjoying this diverse experience, as several students joined more than one club. For example, collectively, freshmen David De Paz, Lucas Perez-Soto, and John Hernandez joined the Cooking Club, Speech and Debate Club, Business Club, Environmental Club, Surfing Club, Chess Club, Spearfishing Club, Anglers Club, and Bodybuilding Club. They described the importance of these clubs as interesting and fun activities one could participate in to make new friends. Sophomore Mathew Moreno agreed, saying, “Clubs are a great way to get involved socially.”
Apart from social and emotional growth, clubs are also important for students’ futures in college and beyond. They help students find enjoyable activities that they can pursue later in life. This is why sophomore Sven Stumbauer, a member of over five clubs, said that Club Fair is, “definitely a way that someone here can expand their horizons and find different activities that they like.”
Clubs help students determine what their interests are, whether they be in journalism with CCNN or in law with the Pre-Law Club. They make students think about their future career choices, which is always good to get ahead on. Mr. Crossman, English Department head, added, “It is super important that people pursue what is interesting to them.”
Clubs at Columbus also offer many positions of leadership such as officer roles. Not only do they look good for colleges, they also demonstrate that students are actively involved. Club leadership positions represent growth and initiative, which are key components of an active student.
Many students that worked at the Club Fair held these positions, including sophomore Joseph Alonso, the head recruiter for the Speech and Debate Club. According to Joseph, recruitment for Speech and Debate and Model UN has been very successful, showing that students are making efforts at being involved. Stumbauer also highlighted successful recruitment with the Cooking Club, which teaches students practical skills they can use everyday.
Clubs are a crucial part of any student’s experience at Columbus, and the Club Fair was a great way to open the door to extracurricular involvement. Many students joined the wide variety of clubs Columbus has to offer, which is important for their career development, social interaction, and overall involvement in the Columbus community.