Clubs continue in spite of pandemic
Most clubs have opted to continue via Zoom given the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because of COVID-19, extracurriculars are being conducted on Zoom and in the classrooms while maintaining safety guidelines.
Sponsors and club presidents say they now have much more flexibility in their schedules. They can choose the time of their clubs during the week, and people can participate from anywhere because of Zoom.
“There are several groups meeting in person, but the majority are meeting virtually – some because of the comfort of the sponsors, but some have to continue to meet virtually because they are so big – like NHS, Habitat…. We can only have 50 people in our largest spaces at this time,” said Sally Phillip, the director of student activities.
Clubs are still meeting, and are still keeping up with attendance. The attendance for many clubs has either stayed the same or slightly dropped.
“Attendance has been steady so that hasn’t changed,” said Robert Russo, the club sponsor for the Guitar club.
Some clubs have had to shut down due to COVID-19. “Operation Snowball has been postponed until next year. We have also postponed two of our fall plays until the Spring so that we can figure out what theater looks like in this new environment,” Phillip said.
These clubs are being shut down because they have too many participants. Operation snowball and the plays usually have more than 50 people in one room. The CDC points out that it is hard to keep people spaced out with good ventilation with many people, even in bigger rooms. But other clubs are still up and running like normal.
“What I love most about the clubs I am in is the sense of community that is apparent in both of them. Habitat is such a big group of students, but there’s a role for everyone. Peer Buddies is so special for me because that type of work might be something I’m interested in studying,” said Lauren Beigel, junior.
Both Habitat for Humanity and Peer Buddies are meeting online as of right now, but that has not put the fire out. The clubs still have avid participation among students and staff. Although most clubs are being conducted through Zoom, there are still many positives for each club.
“Being able to go into breakout rooms one on one has enabled me to get to know what level each student is at. Therefore it’s easier to give new guitar students the instruction they need without them feeling like they are under the pressure of a group. I think that has been a positive. It’s kind of like individual guitar lessons at that point and I like that as I think each student gets more attention,” Russo said.
Since clubs and activities play an important role in every student’s life, both students and sponsors said they hope things will return to ‘normal’ at some point this school year.
