Activity Fair showcases array of student clubs, organizations at Community

Marielsie Iglesias, Senior Staff Reporter • Aug 31, 2023

The Freshman Mentoring Program’s annual activity fair showcased 40 student organizations and clubs during lunch hours on Aug. 29.

The event highlighted the school’s wide range of extracurricular offerings– social outreach clubs like Best Buddies, Generation Connect and Interact club; academic clubs like Model U.N., Scholastic Bowl and Math team; career and technical organizations like FBLA and HOSA; activist groups like Feminism club and Not In Our School; and cultural clubs like the Black Student Union, the Hispanic Heritage club and the Asian American Pacific Islander Culture club…

Freshman Mentoring Program coordinator Ms. Tara Pendleton said that events like this allow freshmen to “get a glimpse of what’s available” at Community.

The wide-range of club offerings, Pendleton said, represents the diverse interests of Community’s student body.

“We have all sorts of different types of students that are passionate about the things they’re doing,” Pendelton said. “I think that’s really exciting.”

These organizations–from Bike club and the Experimental Ensemble to the Music Technology club and Esports–allow students to explore their interests and discover new ones, something senior Ojas Shah knows first hand.

Through the FBLA and Speech team, Shah said, he has “developed a lot of new hobbies.”

But sophomore Harshal Joshi believes the value of extracurriculars goes beyond just exploring interests.

Extracurricular involvement, Joshi said, is a way to “help other people and… help our school.”

Research has shown it also benefits the students involved.

Multiple studies (1 , 2, 3) have reported a positive correlation between extracurricular activity participation and academic success. Students involved in these activities often show higher grade-point averages, increased college enrollment and less absences compared to their uninvolved peers.

But beyond academic success, Shah said, involvement is just “a great way to make [the] high school experience memorable.”

With the “many clubs [Community has] to offer,” Joshi said, “there is going to be a club that fits you.”

Learn more about Community’s club and student organization offerings here.

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About the Contributor

Marielsie Iglesias, Senior Staff Reporter

Marielsie Iglesias is a senior at Normal Community High School, and this is her third year working for the Inkspot as a senior staff reporter. I enjoy reading, writing, and marketing. My biggest advice is to enjoy life since you only live once.