Senior Erica Law and junior Ryan Wall advertise for Regalis, JP’s yearbook club.

By STEVEN XIE, junior

ON OCTOBER 3, JP Stevens played host to a cafeteria jam-packed with enthusiastic students socializing, enjoying food, and shouting over each other as loud techno music blared in the background. While this informal atmosphere would seem more at place at a school dance, it was instead the setting for this year’s extremely successful Club Fair.
Hosted by the administration, the Club Fair was designed to provide an opportunity for every club in the school to display what it had to offer to the students. As junior Miheer Patankar commented, “The club fair not only introduced me to a variety of activities that I had never seen before, but also helped me meet up with friends that I had not met over the summer. The fair was truly in the spirit of JP.”

Everything from free snacks to soccer-playing robots to a Chinese lion was present, but all of the elaborate booths and demonstrations played second fiddle to the true heart and soul of any school event: the students. Proud club members and officers stood by cardboard constructions or danced their fingers across laptops, while others took to handing out flyers and standing atop tables. Booth operators were cordial, focused, and energetic, all lending to the aesthetic of friendship and excitement that pervaded the bustle of the fair. The combined effort and coordination of all the students managing the activities led to an outstanding and informational experience.
Despite being restricted to tight spaces, clubs managed to maximize their impact creatively, and many were able to attract attention to their respective booths.

“We made it a priority to spread the word about InterAct in order to recruit committed members for the successful year we have planned,” responded InterAct’s Vice President, junior Gurnoor Tucker. When asked about the club’s goals, he responded, “Seeing so many people show up to our booth was incredible. Whether people were lured to our booth because of our array of baked goods or simply out of curiosity, I think that InterAct received a considerable amount of publicity. In my opinion, this was the first good sign  that a successful year lies ahead!”

For many organizations, the Club Fair had a clearly defined purpose: to reach out to the student body and recruit new members. Sign-up sheets covered tables, and students did their best to advertise and inform others about their respective clubs. The entire cafeteria was filled with students circulating between booths and enjoying the food, music, and company of friends. The students’ initiative and  curiosity were rewarded with a variety of activities to partake in, with attendees holding discussions on everything from fencing to calculus. Attendees reflected on their experiences positively, as they were impressed both with what the clubs had to offer and with the sheer volume of clubs present. As freshman Jessica Ho observed, “Everyone was so enthusiastic about their clubs; people kept on dragging my friends and me over to their booths and stuffing flyers in our hands. It made me feel like no matter what club I joined, I’d be welcomed into a giant family.”

By uniting food, fun, and information, the Club Fair brought out student camaraderie and provided the perfect opportunity for everyone to learn more about the school through their fellow classmates. In the end, JP Day wasn’t just a popular venue for people to learn more about clubs; it was also a way to get students together, involved, enthusiastic, and ready to pursue their interests.