On the seventh of February the students of The Clinton School congregated in the gym for the 2025 Winter Club fair. The club fair at Clinton has been a long standing event at The Clinton School which happens twice a year. The fair is where the clinton students get a taste of some of the over forty clubs The Clinton School is home to, this makes the club fair crucial in the decision process of which Clintonians will spend their limited outside of IB coursework.
There are many different approaches students take when selecting their clubs, whether that be hobbies and interests, religious or ethnic affiliations, sports, clubs that fulfill CAS (creative, activity, service) requirements, or activities that will buff up their college resume.
For the clubs the fair is also very important. It’s a chance for clubs to gain new members, spread more information about their club, and reignite a spark of interest with their existing club. The club fair is also an extremely important event for club members as well, as manning your club’s booth is a valuable leadership opportunity and a chance to prove to your club’s leaders that you are able to take initiative when they graduate.
During the club fair I had the opportunity to speak with the booth operators and students looking for a club.
*each student giving a quote is a different student*
Hudson: “What are you looking for in a club to join”
Student: “I am looking for clubs with benefits towards my future. Somewhere that’s fun where I can make new friends from other grades.”
Student: “I am in ninth grade and I am looking for just to practice and stuff”
Student: “Ninth grade I am currently and still am on the cheer team and I just signed up for a book club.”
Student: “Something that helps out the community and service hours mostly.”
Student: “Looking for something to help community service hours.”
Student: “I am just looking for something fun and interesting.”
Hudson: “What is your strategy to get new members for your club?”
Student: “GSA tries to be really welcoming and approachable, to have real and genuine conversations with people who come to our booth.”
Student: “For us at Key Club we want to push what the students will gain from our club, which is community service hours and CAS experiences. Giving out candy and it helps that we are helped by an outside organization which not a lot of other clubs are.”
One of the most controversial aspects of the club fair is candy handed out. Some clubs don’t have the personal funding to buy candy to attract people towards their booth. Another point of this controversy is that booth operators only give out candy to those who sign up for the club. This is what the people had to say.
Hudson: “How does giving candy out affect people and get people to join?”
Student: “Well the candy is an incentive, it’s the only way for people to come.”
Hudson: “What do you think about the booths that only give out candy to the people who have signed up for the club?”
Student: “I agree with this. I think you only deserve a piece of candy unless you sign up and if you don’t then you don’t get them. It’s usually the only way to get people to join because usually people don’t join a club or anything without an incentive. It’s what everyone does. “
During the club fair if you don’t find a club that suits your interests, fear not! Anyone can make a club here at Clinton. The process itself is simple.
At Clinton students have a couple of options when it comes to starting a club of their own: they can talk to Ms Reyes who coordinates all the clubs or they can apply to an announcement about starting clubs that are regularly posted by staff throughout the year. Here are some opinions about how that process went for a new club at the club fair.
Hudson: “What was it like to start the club – the paperwork and process.”
Student: ”The hardest thing is getting advisors, mostly finding a day that would work for both club members and advisor. The thing is you need to have something different for us it was the possibility of sponsoring a patient” – a representative from Neuroscience Club
The 2025 Clinton School Winter Club Fair continued to exemplify the active and welcoming community at The Clinton School, giving students the opportunity to discover their interests, engage with other students, and take on leadership roles.
With over forty independent clubs, the fair continues to be a pillar of student life, allowing Clintonians to explore activities that enhance their academic pursuits and personal interests. From hobby clubs to service organizations, the fair boasted the diversity of experiences available, and sparked debate about recruitment methods and the ethics of incentivization. Ultimately, the event not only encouraged student engagement but also fostered community and leadership, making it an indispensable tradition at The Clinton School.
