On a normal school day, the day doesn’t end at 2:15. Instead, you’ll find most East students rushing through the hallways to get to their sports practices or club events. One thing East High School prides itself most on is our student engagement, and our dozens of clubs, activities, and sports teams allow for students to be an active part of the Viking community. And even though current circumstances have limited our interactions, student leaders are rising up to the challenge and adapting to the situation. East High School’s club involvement is as strong as ever, even virtually.

Around this time of year, the Student Council is usually working hard in preparation for the pep rally and Homecoming. Although this year’s Homecoming will look different, the Student Council is determined to make it an event to remember. Through the challenges and barriers of Zoom meetings, the Student Council is planning virtual activities and events in lieu of a normal spirit week. “I’d say the hardest part about virtual meetings is the fact that we can’t split up and complete hands-on tasks. But now, we assign the work, discuss our ideas, and work on fulfilling our roles outside of our Zoom meetings.” Says Student Council President Megan Merten.

The East Theater Company sadly cannot put on their fall play production, but the officers are doing their best to encourage participation and team bonding among the members. Colin Barch, the President of ETC, says, “The company is very family-like, so integrating ways to keep people active in the club has been no issue. The music department has a discord server with movie and game nights, members are extremely active, and it’s just strengthening the community as a whole.” ETC is one of the largest clubs at school, with departments ranging from the cast to stage crew to set design, yet the company has tried their best to help students build a strong bond. “ETC had a social distance mixer in September, and it was a blast!” Says Colin.

Some clubs, like Science Olympiad, would normally rely on in-person meetings for hands-on activities like labs. However, with adjustments to virtual events, Science Olympiad is dedicated to emulating normal circumstances. “The biggest challenge of an online meeting is that it’s a lot harder to make sure everyone is working and exploring different events.” Says Nij Patel. “Usually at school, we might have someone in a Forensics event mixing solutions with a partner when other people might come and watch, getting exposed to new events. We can’t have that sort of interaction on Zoom or even breakout rooms, sadly.” Although the lack of interaction and exposure in virtual meetings has lost some normalcy for the club, Zoom meetings have also provided a better form of communication. Nij adds, “While a Zoom meeting can’t replicate a real meeting, it’s been a lot easier for a leader like me to give messages to the full group.”

For art students, National Art Honor Society meetings were a great place to go to after school to relax and create art with friends. And even though in-person meetings can’t happen, the NAHS officers are learning to adapt to the situation and are striving to continue student involvement with the club. Jessica Gomez, Co-President of NAHS, says, “Sharing our creations in a group setting is one of the biggest parts of NAHS, so it’s a little sad to see it dwindle a bit. But all of our officers have been so collaborative, cooperative, and patient. It’s forced us to think outside the box and try to recreate our normal atmosphere as best as we can online until, hopefully, we’re back in person.”

One thing that everyone can agree on is that it’s great to see old faces once more through each meeting. On NAHS, Jessica says, “We’ve only had an introduction meeting so far, but it was nice to see our old members and even some new ones, even if it was through a screen.”

Megan shares the same sentiments for the Student Council, saying, “I’ve really enjoyed just seeing everyone again! It’s so fun to talk to everyone, especially our advisors, so it’s always nice to catch up with them during our meetings.”

And even though online meetings have limited the small moments we love about our club meetings, it’s also provided some hilarious memories out of internet issues. “We all had a good laugh in our last meeting,” Says Nij, “ when our advisor, Mr. Densmore, simply forgot to start the meeting, so I had to start one myself.”

Though our school year has started off on an unprecedented term, one thing is clear: our students are still as passionate as ever about staying involved at school. If you’re a freshman just starting out in high school, an upperclassman wanting to try something new, or if you just want to fill your time, join a few virtual club meetings! Clubs are here to stay, and you’ll get the chance to feel some normalcy by getting involved.