Student Clubs Host Annual Interest Night
New and returning students filled Grainger Auditorium to take on Exeter’s annual Club Night last Saturday, an annual event with representation from each student club on campus. Club co-heads set up booths, drew colorful signs and put out candy and other treats to lure interested prospects to their sign-up sheets. Club Night is one of many ways that Exeter seeks to include new students in the events of the school in a friendly, community-centered way at the beginning of each year.
Senior Aivant Goyal recalled his first few weeks as a new lower, and how Club Night helped him as he worked to integrate himself better in the on-campus student community. Goyal had an excess of free time, but did not know many people. He described the experience of Club Night with an analogy. “[It] gives new kids that opportunity to pick their commitments like as if they were in a grocery store. They get to see everything, get excited about things, meet new people and decide what kind of hobbies they want to pursue,” Goyal said. Goyal hoped to see other Exonians engage in his interests such as computer science, ethics, business and the Indian Subcontinent. Understanding that Exonians have limited time to spend on extracurricular interests, he hoped to give them almost a taster of what is to come at his metaphorical grocer. “I want to showcase even just briefly the different kinds of things you can do at Exeter, even if they don't end up actually going there,” Goyal said.
Like Goyal, prep Dawson Byrd said that he enjoyed the experience of shopping around for clubs and hobbies he might like, even if he had never tried them before. “I liked how people encouraged you to join even if you did not have previous experience,” Byrd said. “I signed up for ones that I otherwise would’ve glanced over.” Similarly, prep Andrea So commented that she “loved the energy and the variety of all the clubs.” However, So said that the environment was a little overwhelming with all the noise, students packed into the relatively small auditorium and somewhat aggressive approach some club heads took to recruit members.
"Joining clubs is one of the best ways I got to meet and know so many of the wonderful people I know today."
Senior Alec Howe recognized the importance of Club Night for the clubs themselves as well as new students. “Club Night allows less well-known clubs to advertise themselves on a level playing field with others, and for students of all grade levels to discover new interests and new friends,” Howe said. He aimed to engage with the variety of students that attend the Academy, especially in his Republican Club. “I hope to attract liberals and conservatives alike so that we can better serve the community as an open minded forum for discussions about contentious issues,” he said. Excited to see new and old faces, Howe said he hopes to put his passion on display and possibly join a club or two himself.
Returning lower Adrian Venzon said that he felt out of place coming into Exeter last year. However, through joining clubs like the Pinoy Society and the GSA, he gradually assimilated into the Academy’s engaged culture and community.
“It’s important to have club night so that new students are able to find groups that they can feel comfortable in or familiar with ... I hope to start lasting bonds with new students and reconnect to returning students,” Venzon said.
However, things were viewed slightly differently from the other half of the club advertisements. Some new students mentioned their dislike of the loud, confusing and intimidating atmosphere at Club Night. Some thought that at times the campaigning became too aggressive and too personal, and how declining an offer became personal conflicts. Prep Will Hamilton said, “It’s awkward how people solicit you into joining their clubs.” Hu agreed, saying “I felt uncomfortable denying certain requests because if you know the co-heads they’re very likely to reach out to you.” Despite this, Hu ended up joining about two-thirds of the clubs he was approached by, and ended up finding a way to fend off the excited upperclassmen and take care of his own interests.
In addition to the questionable guilt-tripping for club sign-ups, many attendees mentioned the discomfort of the Grainger venue. Hu commented, “It was really loud, rowdy and crowded. Sometimes it was difficult to find signs of clubs that I was interested in.” He added with emphasis, “If there was A/C in Grainger it would’ve been a lot better.”
Club Night, although accompanied by some flaws, will serve as a basis for integrating Exonians into the community. Senior Kaitlyn Kang believed strongly in the role of Club Night in the lives of new Exonians. “I am just hoping to leave people with an impression of my clubs, as something that they’ll remember,” she said.
Kang also ties this to the importance of the availability of clubs and the pursuit of personal interests at Exeter. “If you’re going to ask about the importance of club night, you might as well be asking about the importance of club,” she said.
Overall, it is a night and a tradition that has benefited many and serves as a gateway into each school year, as well as an entrance to careers at Exeter. Senior Richard Chen said, “Joining clubs is one of the best ways I got to meet and know so many of the wonderful people I know today. It opens people up to step outside their comfort zone and try something new, perhaps something that they’ll enjoy for their lives.”