[Student Reporters] Club Rush Showcases School‘s Diverse Campus Life

Hae Rim Shin / <12th, Cypress High School>

Students flocked to the quad when the bell rang after the fourth period. Not only was it lunchtime but it was also Club Rush Week. Club Rush is an annual week-long event at Cypress High School where clubs, new and old, set up stands to meet the student body for the first time since school has started.

This year’s Club Rush took place from Monday, September 14th to Friday, September 18th. It was a great opportunity for clubs to find new members and for students to get a taste of all the different activities on campus. At each table, club officers were present to answer questions that prospective members had. “What kind of club is this?”, “What do you do at the meetings?”, “Do you have any field trips or events?”, and “Are there any club dues?” were typical questions asked.

This year’s new clubs made their first appearance during Club Rush. They were Immigration Nation, Math Club, Mormon Club, The Pacific Asian Volunteer Association, Well Done, and others. Immigration Nation, a club working to raise awareness for the Dream Act, spread around fliers to inform students about giving undocumented students a chance to gain legal statuses.

“A lot of people that signed up for our club actually made it to the first meeting. I was surprised,” said Michael T., an officer of the club. The Pacific Asian Volunteer Association stood out with the many green-shirted volunteers waving miniature flags. Math Club acquired members by offering help to students with their homework problems and with the American Math Competitions. Club Rush was an important helper in getting the word out for all of these new additions to campus life.

Continuing clubs also worked hard in preparation for Club Rush in order to reach out to more students, more effectively. Clubs such as Interact and Key Club displayed their large banners to grab attention and scored pages of sign-ups. Make-A-Wish counted up to more than six pages full of names, email addresses, and phone numbers.

Robotics Club showed off their robot and its carrying skills with which they won third place at last year’s Innovation Competition hosted by Fullerton College. “We’ve never had so many people at our meetings. I hope they‘ll keep on coming,” said Rocky N., founder of Robotics Club. Other clubs sought members by giving out candy, requiring applications, or simply showing enthusiasm under the hot afternoon sun.

As a new school year has begun, so have many clubs been born, changed, and developed. Club Rush will continue to serve as the showcase of extracurricular life at Cypress High School.