The long awaited Club Rush finally arrived on September 29th during lunch. As students head into the beginning of the school year, Club Rush is one of the most vital events to attend. It provides the opportunity to view and join the dozens of clubs Hamilton has to offer. Joining clubs allows students to make connections with others and explore passions while discovering new ones.
However, this year’s Club Rush had a location change. In previous years, Club Rush was generally held at the football field, while this year the location was moved to the quad, at the center of the school’s campus. Club members and leaders held mixed feelings about the change in location.
The Quad’s location reached students easier—instead of walking all the way to the football field, it was right outside of class. However, the limited space and numerous clubs created a chaotic environment. The small pathways created traffic.
Zella Bennet, a 12th grader in AMPA and the co-captain for the Robotics Club, said she “loved Club Rush [but] it should not have been on the Quad.”
While Mimi (Miriam) Evan, a senior in Humanities and a club participant of Naviance, said, “I like the circular set up. I think it really helps the flow, so everybody can kinda see what they want to do.”
Many students who led clubs reported positive outcomes from Club Rush.
“It was a lot bigger than last year.” Emilio Zelaya, a 12th Grader from Humanities and the co-vice president of Naviance, said.
The president of Film Club, AMPA senior Matiss Anderson, said, “We’re getting a lot of members!”
While the turn-out proved to be successful, the preparation was another story. Dozens of posters and tents were set up minutes before lunch, with cabinet members of clubs scrambling for tables and spots on the Quad. Spots were considered first-come first serve, along with tables and tents.
“We, like, prepared a bit. We got some snacks,” Matiss said. “In terms of tables, we could have prepared that plan better. We kind of made the table.”
Some club leaders had more than just one club to worry about. Megan Dinh, a senior in SAS, is president of three clubs: SAS Leadership, Fashion Club, and Key Club. She said she took “a couple of weeks” in preparation.
“Some of my clubs had more than one poster and it took a very long time,” Megan added. “Club Rush is pretty stressful. It’s a really crucial time to get members.”
Underclassmen also stepped up in leadership roles and coordinated their table setup.
“We got some posters ready. We got some snacks ready, but we also made sure that we had our lists ready,” said AMPA sophomore Klaudia Czako, the president of Debate Club. “Stuff like that.”
The immense amount of planning and effort to promote these clubs seemingly paid off. Many clubs expressed their hope for the future.
Robotics Club will be “competing in a way better competition than our club has ever competed in before,” Zella said.
Madeleine Townsend, the social media manager for Arabic Club and a senior in AMPA, anticipated a new cultural show for later this year.
Though Club Rush held many pressures and changes this year with its location change and preparation, students said they were hopeful and optimistic for the future of their clubs.
“I expect that I can make a difference in my school community,” Dinh said.
