On Wednesday, August 26, Hawaii Baptist Academy held its high school club fair in the breezeway.
Club advisers and student officers set up booths to showcase their clubs, and students had the chance sign up for the clubs they were interested in.
Clubs give students the opportunity to participate in activities that they might not do on their own. Red Cross Club members get the chance to work with other schools under the Red Cross Chapter in Diamond Head. “HBA and other public and private schools start these clubs as a way of getting more kids involved in community service and educating their classmates about safety and disaster preparedness,” says senior Marissa Kwon, Red Cross Club officer.
[one_third]Clubs give students the opportunity to participate in activities that they might not do on their own. [/one_third]
Freshmen who attended the club fair were able to sign up for clubs that they weren’t able to join when they were in middle school. “[The club fair] was fun because they didn’t have it at the middle school,” says freshman Tess Wakabayashi. “[I joined] the Environmental club, because I was in Generation Green in middle school; Art Club; and Japanese Club, because I like Japanese everything.”
Science department chair Mike Hu, who advises the Chess Club, points out that clubs are student-led groups that give students opportunities to take on more responsibility. “Officers and students take the bulk of the responsibility of running the club. I make suggestions, supervise and act as liaison to HBA,” he says.
Chinese Club member Annemarie Lee is taking a more active role in her club this year. “This year I’m working with a new teacher so this is a first year experience for the both of us but I’m excited to see what happens and who attends the meetings,” she says.
Many clubs are taking on new projects this year. The Environmental Club is coming up with an effective way to collect food waste for the school’s new compost bin. The club is also planning on creating a system to recycle paper in the classrooms. “[Environmental Club] gives students an opportunity to learn about the environment and environmental issues, and empowers them to make a positive impact on their campus and in their community,” says Environmental Club adviser and Chemistry teacher Claire Mitchell.
This year, the Student Council has plans to be more involved with the clubs and incorporate them into council activities. For example, they want to have an “Awareness Day” to raise awareness for issues that clubs like the Environmental Club and the Red Cross Club are trying to highlight. “[The Student Council] is hoping to interact with these clubs more this year in order to pull them out of the shadows and ultimately get students excited about being involved in something,” says Student Council President senior Isabel Wiemken.
Club meeting times and locations will be announced through the weekly morning announcements.
