Davis High clubs start to hold meetings online during shelter-in-place

PHOTO: Best Buddies club members participate in a paper bunny craft before the school closure.

By Sarah Griffiths,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

As the spring semester has been cut short due to the pandemic, Davis High students participating in extracurricular activities are finding new ways of meeting while still practicing social distancing. Some clubs have turned to technology like Zoom and WebEx to meet face-to-face online.

Junior Sarah Maranta is the vice president of Best Buddies club, where Special Ed students come together to do various activities. Maranta is holding 30-minute Zoom sessions with members each week. 

“For the rest of the year we plan on having virtual meetings every Wednesday where we play games and do activities like pictionary, trivia and charades. Our club is helping keep everyone connected and make sure that everyone has someone to talk to,” Maranta said.

Many clubs have decided to cancel activities and meetings for the remainder of the school year. Davis Key Club is one of the many clubs on campus that allows students to sign up for volunteer events. 

“We are just letting members do any type of community service they can safely. But we are still going to count this semester towards their membership regardless or whether or not they would fulfill the requirements,” club officer Manulya Gunasekera said.

English teacher Mr. Vasquez hosted an environmentally-focused club that planned on cleaning up campus. Vasquez believes clubs are a vital part of high school.

“Clubs are integral to campus life and climate because it allows young people to find others with similar affinities, meet, and network. They can find others and themselves in a high school that often can feel like a jungle for people,” Vasquez said.

Vasquez hopes school clubs continue holding meetings with members. He, along with DHS administration, is currently working with ASB to encourage students to find other ways to stay connected with the school while maintaining social distancing.

“I think clubs can and should hold meetings, through Facetime, Zoom, or any other platform. I know that quarantine has left everyone feeling more isolated than before and that clubs do a great job at counteracting that,” Vasquez said.