Drawn in with the promise of cookies and brownies, dozens of students visited the OGHS Student Publications table at Club Rush. More than 30 student clubs gathered in Patriot Plaza on Friday, Aug. 20 during lunch. Different organizations used the Club Rush event, which was sponsored by the Associated Student Body, to promote their activities and encourage other students to join. Students from both Torch Yearbook and Musket Media shared cookies and brownies with interested students, while also passing out copies of The Musket magazine.
“The baked goods are such a big part of our class, we knew we had to share that with everyone. But once the cookies caught their attention, we could talk to them about the other benefits of what we do, too,” Torch Co-Editor-In-Chief, Alo Perez, 11, said.
The publications students knew they would have a lot of competition for students’ attention during Club Rush. In order to get ready for the event, they brainstormed lists of the best things about their classes and why students should join. They also pulled previous issues of The Musket and The Torch from their archives to share with students who were interested.
“We wanted to make sure we could show students the kind of work that they’d be doing. It’s really cool to see the yearbook or the magazine and realize that everything that is in there is created by a student. It’s good motivation for them to join,” Torch staff member, Noemy Melchor, 10, said.
While the temperature climbed towards 90 degrees, students at the event sweated their way through the crowds to visit the variety of tables set up by organizers. The heat, along with the throngs of sweaty students, made it hard for everyone to navigate the crowded Patriot Plaza. It also made it difficult for clubs to feel like they could really connect with interested students.
“It was so hot that I just went to a bunch of tables and grabbed a flier and then I left to go to a room with AC. It was to0 hot to stand there and talk to everyone for all of lunch,” Genesis Gonzalez, 9, said.
Despite the challenges of the afternoon, the publications table was able to collect the names of nearly 20 students interested in participating in their activities. Members from the clubs will be reaching out to the students and their counselors to discuss any possible schedule changes, for those who want to join the class.
“Even though we’re getting pretty far into the school year, we want to make sure that students have access to the courses they are most interested in. We’re going to work with those students who want to change their schedules to participate in classes, as best we can,” counselor Alejandro Bernal, said. Bernal was a member of the Torch Yearbook Staff when he attended Orange Glen.