by Falyn Bonacore
As OHS welcomes the new school year, after-school and extracurricular activities are highly promoted and encouraged. Whether being a new freshman or a previously involved senior, students have access to abundant opportunities that can expand their interests and their social engagement. OHS has a variety of clubs and each club offers a unique opportunity for the students. The club fair is being held on September 25th in the cafeteria to showcase the abundant clubs offered at OHS, and it is highly encouraged that every student attends.
School clubs are beneficial in many ways, most significantly for communication skills. Students are instructed to collaborate and share ideas collectively, contributing to an effective sense of togetherness. At the same time, students can feel a sense of belonging and support as they build on relationships and are exposed to different people of all backgrounds. Clubs also give students leadership opportunities, such as in Big Buddies where students act as role models to ESL students.
In addition, clubs act as extracurriculars that are important for resumes and college applications. They are used to assess your involvement, experiences, and work ethic to determine how credible you are for certain positions. Clubs also provide insight into one’s personal qualities, virtues, skills, and suitability.
OHS has 54 clubs this year. This includes numerous honor societies ranging from World Language to English, all of which require excellence in their respectable subjects and require hours of community service. Students can join clubs that specialize in different subject areas like Mathletes, which focuses on mathematics, and Robotics, which specializes in engineering.
Some clubs offer opportunities to perform and partake in more physical activities. The Oceanside Athletic Pride club attempts to raise school spirit and raise money for sporting programs while the Step Team teaches students the foundations of stepping as they come up with routines. OHS also finds it important to offer clubs that specialize in particular heritages. For example, there is the Latino Culture Club, which includes members of Latino descent and allows them to learn and share more about their culture and experiences. There is also the Asian Culture Club which works to connect students of Asian culture and identity to encourage friendship and a sense of understanding.
Overall, OHS is devoted to creating connections between students and promoting their interests through clubs. They have established a vast list of extracurriculars that students are encouraged to take advantage of and become more involved in. The Club Fair will provide insight into each club in full detail – it is an event that students can be inspired by.