The protocol for University clubs this semester was certainly unconventional, with the yearly Ice Cream Social adapted to COVID-19 regulations. Nonetheless, Club Fair was held with the same enthusiasm on September 17 in front of the Campus Center, albeit without the ice cream and with socially distanced tables.
Students were eager to join the clubs, yet many expressed concern about events. Common questions inquired about how events would be conducted, how clubs would conform to the new regulations, and if face-to-face events would occur at all. Even though most clubs had proactively prepared for these queries, the inevitable probing caused officers to further deliberate upon their options for the year. For clubs seeking members amidst the pandemic, creativity proves vital.
Before coming up with solutions, club officers had to assess their constraints. Isabelle Tessalee (junior, biochemistry), the Chemistry Club’s Religious VP, said “It’s more difficult to plan activities since everyone has to be socially distant. We’ve had to plan activities outdoors so there’s enough space for the amount of people who are in the club.”
Similarly to Chemistry Club, many other clubs have looked into conducting events outdoors as the open space makes adhering to social distancing easier, especially for larger clubs. Nonetheless, challenges remain.
Gloria Oh (sophomore, biology), the Secretary for BioPhilia, states that the pandemic has “made the approach we take in planning the club plan very different compared to previous years. Face-to-face has to be limited as much as possible, so that probably placed difficulties for a lot of other clubs, not just our club.”
Nonetheless, Oh regards these challenges as opportunities for the club to grow. She says, “I think it also opened up more doors of possibilities.” Displaying a mindset crucial for club officers, Oh appeared to be keen on creating new ways for members to interact and participate.
A common thread with the officers appears to be the planned utilization of Zoom meetings. Oh remarked, “For example, I think Zoom or virtual events makes it easier to involve more people that might have place or time constraints for the activities.” Tessalee also mentioned Zoom, and said, “Thinking about when it gets colder, we will most likely have more Zoom meetings.” Likely, these officers will have to keep in mind the necessity of creating an engaging, dynamic meeting in a virtual setting.
Despite a change of setting, a semblance of regularity was emphasized. Tessalee said, “We know that making connections with our peers and the chemistry/biochemistry faculty is important so we’re trying to make sure that we have events regularly throughout the semester.” Clearly, officers are trying to build and maintain relationships by creating constant opportunities throughout the year for interaction.
Although this school year proves to be demanding in terms of logistical planning, 老司机传媒 club officers seem well-prepared. Conducting a club will undoubtedly require inventive planning both satisfy members and encourage participation. Nonetheless, the students can undoubtedly look forward to the creative events their chosen clubs will hold throughout the semester.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 老司机传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 老司机传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.