By Osasere Imade
This year’s club fair at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics was held in early October, and attracted students from every grade. Our fair showcased old and new clubs that attempted to appeal to a wide range of interests, hoping students would want to participate. As you can see from the photo below, there was a great turnout in the school cafeteria.
Joining these clubs can result in amazing benefits— including doing something that you find fun— but they do require you to show up for their meetings. Even though there are numerous clubs, do not overwhelm yourself by joining six different activities. Choosing only your top favorite clubs, then making sure you are able to attend all their meetings is the key to making sure you enjoy your extracurricular time at MCSM.
Every great thing has its pros and cons, and it is important to look at both of those. I could name all the clubs at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics and name each benefit for each club. However, that would be time-consuming. Instead, I would offer you a general rule for how you can benefit from these clubs. Showing that you have interests outside of actual academic performance can look great on your high school resume when applying to programs or colleges. Being great in school is also valuable, but taking your time to attend something you aren’t being graded on that you signed up for shows commitment and how much you care for that particular club.
Attending regular meetings allows you to socialize with other club members, which later leads to them becoming your friends at school. Meeting someone who has the same interests as you can allow you to discover more things you guys may have in common. When you sign up for a club, you will most likely have at least a little interest in what the club is about. Each week you attend a meeting broadens your prior knowledge of what you know or think you know about that club’s activities. There are many more things you can learn staying involved with a club, but you will have to see what they are when you join.
Robotics Club candidates.
Joining numerous clubs as well as sports teams can affect the quality of your participation, which is not that great. Deciding what your priorities are before joining a club is essential, so you know what to do and what not to do. Most of the clubs at MCSM are after school, which can be a problem when teachers decided to tutor students that day. You can still attend tutoring and be at your club, just know it may cause you to miss a day or two from attending your club. Depending on your teacher in the club, it is wise to tell them in advance where you will be going if you are going to be absent. Joining clubs can definitely affect your after-school schedule, but it’s still worth the effort if you can learn more about something that truly interests you.
One of the less well-known benefits of our club fair is that you yourself can make a club. All you need is a teacher who will be willing to supervise or assist you. If you want to try to introduce a new sport, you have to make it a club first, and then it can become a school sport. A club fair is an event that you should try to go to for at least ten minutes to see what pulls you. It is possible that you may find the perfect activity, but if you don’t find it then start it yourself. You never really know, maybe your club could be the perfect club for somebody else.
[If you’re seeking a club to join, look at the MCSM club list at: http://mcsmportal.net/clubs/]