Managing a club

BY CAROLINE SIELING Staff Reporter

Club management is something that many Sequoia students take on when they are interested in cultivating a community of people with similar interests.

Even though clubs are a major part of Sequoia, most students might not know much about them or the process behind having their own. Some may not be interested in clubs at all, but clubs not only teach new skills but also give an opportunity to socialize and relate to others on common interests.

“You get to hang out with people who have something in common with you, [and] get to have fun every week or whatever, and it’s a very rewarding experience,” senior Eva Smith, Satanist Club vice-president said.

Before deciding to take on a major role in a club, it is very helpful to consider the huge responsibility that these kind of positions entail. Managing a club can be a lot of work in and out of school, this becomes apparent when club leaders have to balance school work and extracurriculars with the commitments that come with managing a club. Since so many clubs are led by upperclassmen this balance becomes even more challenging as schedules get busier.

“It is a much bigger time commitment than people would necessarily assume,” Smith said.

In-club work can be challenging but a new level of responsibility is undertaken with club management for work outside of school. Many clubs organize things that are larger than just the clubs themselves such as fundraisers or participating in protests or marches. This adds an extra challenge to club presidents or management and can create large workloads for those in these roles.

“It’s been a challenge to balance with schoolwork because I want to create detailed and thoughtful emails and presentations. So that people in the club feel like I care and so that we have a great experience,” junior Emily Christman, baking club president said.

With a total of 92 student-led clubs available for Sequoia students. The financial element of club management is one that can be easily overlooked. Clubs looking for financial support have the option to request a “mini grant”, this support offers many more opportunities to clubs.

“Mostly, you’re just filling out a form and then waiting for a while. So it’s a lengthy process but not a hard process,” freshman Luca Steiner, president of the Dungeons and Dragons club, said.

Sequoia’s club day creates an opportunity for immense growth for every club and can especially show off many things about new clubs. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes for club management before club day in preparation for their club to reach new audiences.

“You have to finish [all of the application forms] by club day, because that is when you are going to get the biggest influx of people,” Steiner said.

So many organizational tasks are constantly having to be managed by those who choose to commit to clubs, those tasks on top of making a comfortable club environment can be tough. Club leaders take on a large role and have to be comfortable with leading and giving direction. They must also be supportive of others and create an environment that is comfortable and enjoyable for club members.

“Keeping people engaged and making sure it’s not just us talking the whole time, it’s a little bit hard,” Smith said.

Beyond the principles and simple creation of a club, leaders and advisors must also be sure that there are proper audiences and true interest or want for their club. Though many students may join a club to engage with a new or past hobby, community and self expression play a great role in influencing Sequoia students club choices.

“We wanted to base off of… the general freedom and creativity to just do whatever you want,” Smith said.

Even though the goals and ambitions of clubs are crucial, clubs are not even possible at Sequoia without at least fifteen members. Since club attendance is so important for keeping a club successful, maintaining a consistent group of club members can be challenging leaving clubs to find different ways to attain new people.

“We invited the Polynesian club and we’ve invited the Latin X club so we have a larger turnout but we have a very consistent turnout,” Adili Skillin BSU staff adviser said.

Different things influence people to join their clubs of choice, community and existing hobbies can play a major role in this influence.

“I think that the idea of baking is really fun to people and not only that it’s just the idea of creating something and being able to do it with your friends [makes people inclined to join],”Christman said.