As the year of 2020 comes to its interesting end, West High tries its best to communicate with one another and reunite our clubs so that our campus stays active.  Since this pandemic has hit, any events such as sports, proms, homecomings and other in school activities have been cancelled due to the constant strive to keep our communities safe.  Since this, our valued West High’s clubs have also been on hold as of last year. West High had a very confusing goodbye in the middle of March this year. Now with our new semester starting, everyone has decided if it were possible to have classes online and still be able to openly connect. So, this is the perfect opportunity to start up our clubs again.   

With our many clubs ranging from dance, culture and hobbies, there is a club for everyone to join and be a part of. In order to do so,  simply go on the West High’s website and with just a few clicks, you can see a full list of the many different clubs you can join by their Teams meeting code.   

When it comes to the ideas of online clubs, it has many other benefits that could cause the students to start branching out and getting creative. For some clubs this includes online parties, Facetime calls and even for one club, an online picnic!  Also, if you join a club, you get many other advantages such as maintaining perspective through a pandemic, still having time to connect with others around you and bettering West High.

 When it comes to West High, I believe that even though we are going through this time of chaos, there should be a time where you are able to relax with people who share the same interests as you. Through that process of making new friends, you might even be able to find something out about yourself along the way.  Plus, since we have been stripped away from our social lives on campus, I suggest, because being away from your friends for so long can be very downing, join a club.   

Many might argue about the hardships that come along with being in an online club. You don’t get the same friendly in-person experiences, the memories and of course, when it comes to the internet there is always a downside. This may include technical difficulties such as not being able to get on the Teams call on time, or having awkward silence when someone asks a question. K-POP club President, junior Summer Apoon says, “When you’re in an in-person club meeting, you can see everyone’s expressions, their vibe and just how they are as a person,”  but when it comes to online, people might tend to shy away from the opportunity to put on their camera and not talk to others. Or it’s the point of even wanting to go out and meet people. “I just go to class until 11:03 and then call it a day” says one of West High’s students. “I don’t want to have to stay on the computer for more than I have to.”   

A lot of the clubs are now open, but a handful of them have yet to start. This is because a lot of the advisors and teachers are busy due to the everlasting tasks to fulfill and uphold a class. If you were planning a sports club, fellow athletes already within a team advise that you should possibly consider just joining the sport. The season for sports has not been finalized due to the changes with the COVID-19 cases, and it would be best to just hear straight from the coaches to get a better insight.   

I know with the ideas of joining another online Teams meeting may sound tiring but it’s not. There are people that are there for you, and if you are interested in something, reach for it.  But to make the experiences more interesting, websites such as Zoom, Discord, Snapchat and Instagram have been very impactful not only to the updates of the clubs, but also giving them a time to send each other messages and get to know one another.  So, the possibilities of having fun and seeing your friends in a creative style is endless.   

Here’s the link, go ahead and check up on them for yourself West High!

https://westhigh.tracy.k12.ca.us/activities-athletics/clubs