Clubs continue despite COVID-19 crisis
PHOTO: Senior Emma Carney sends letters to registered voters for the DHS Activism Club’s first activity of the year.
By Grace Kishiyama,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–
Davis High clubs are turning to Zoom as their primary platform of communication and club leaders harbor concerns about new member recruitment.
DHS clubs commissioner Caroline Johnson is currently facing the challenge of putting together a virtual club fair, which, according to her, is still in the early works.
“We’re looking into other ways to organize the virtual club fair that isn’t through Zoom,” she said.
Johnson is concerned about the possibility that people would have to sit through presentations for clubs that they might not be as interested in.
Another challenge clubs are facing is the Davis Joint Unified School District’s policy that prevents any clubs from gathering in person.
“I do expect some clubs might not continue this year,” Johnson said.
However, Johnson has received applications for new clubs. “It’s cool that people are still interested in [clubs],” she said.
“I assumed that clubs will be less active than ‘brick-and-mortar’ school years, however my email inbox is filled with club questions,” Student Government teacher Anthony Vasquez said. “We’re in the process of reviewing and approving at least 15 to 20 clubs this week, with undoubtedly more on the way!”
Senior Emma Carney put in an application for the DHS Activism Club, for which she is now the secretary.
“We created this club to help us grow as students and as future leaders,” Carney said. She and a couple of her friends took an anti-racism course this summer called People Together Hold People Accountable, which inspired Carney and her friends to want to continue the anti-racism effort.
“We were thinking of the three main branches of activism which are women’s rights, climate action and racial justice, since they all intersect,” Carney said. “I’d like to establish a community of people that is involved and increase community awareness and involvement.”
In order to accomplish these goals, the club will focus on California bills regarding topics such as police reform and climate restrictions, and will later contact representatives.
The club plans to organize protests as well as attend organized protests. Activism Club will also help other clubs such as Environmental Club and Black Student Union with their initiatives.
With the 2020 presedential election fast approaching, the Activism Club is currently sending letters to registered voters with Vote Forward, urging them to vote in this election.
Senior Vivian Lee, the Japanese Culture Club president, is facing challenges with making the club’s meetings more than just presentations.
“We’re going to try and make [the meetings] more interactive,” Lee said. “We’re going to try and incorporate more games.”
The club is looking into using an app called Pear Deck which is similar to Kahoot!.
Similarly to past years, the club is focusing more on modern Japanese culture rather than traditional culture. Lee says the club will focus on pop culture, architecture, social customs and Japanese streetwear.
“It’s going to help them out if they decide to travel to Japan,” Lee said.
Key Club allows DHS students to volunteer and give back to their community.
Senior Riley Liu, this year’s Key Club president, is faced with the challenge of finding volunteer opportunities for the club members that abide by the encouraged social distancing guidelines.
“People have reached out to us with Covid friendly ideas,” Liu said.
For example, Key Club members can complete coloring sheets that will be donated to Color A Smile and count as 30 minutes of volunteering. Color A Smile is a nonprofit organization that distributes colorful drawings to senior citizens, overseas troops, children’s hospitals and anyone else that is in need of cheering up.
In addition, club members will also be able to make artwork for Black Lives Matter and for wildfire relief funds, all for volunteer hours.
Something new Liu is working on this school year for Key Club is expanding the club to junior high schools in Davis.
The Red Cross Club is in charge of organizing the spring and fall blood drives at DHS.
“We don’t have a fall blood drive this year, but we’re still looking into volunteering at non-school sanctioned blood drives,” said Mia Mangney, the Red Cross Club vice president.
Without having to organize the DHS blood drives, the club is looking into having guest speakers from Red Cross at a couple of their meetings.
The club will also be using an app called “Volunteer Connection,” which will allow members of the club to track their volunteer hours and become an official member of Red Cross everywhere, allowing them to volunteer outside of school.
As of right now, the spring blood drive has not been cancelled.
Senior Cora Ethier, the Women in Science Technology Engineering and Math Club president, says the club’s main focus is to “promote women in STEM and to empower women at DHS.”
“Most of our things can continue as normal,” Ethier said.
However, she admitted that there are less opportunities than there would usually be during a normal school year. “We’re looking into new things to do,” she said.
The club is looking into doing a coding workshop and having the club officers present on their preferred topics.
The club has professors from UC Davis share their personal stories and any challenges they’ve faced as a woman working in any STEM related field every other week for their STEMinars.
