Despite only having been on campus for a short while, freshmen are exploring the new opportunities being offered to them through our school clubs.

In a survey sent out to Woodside freshmen, 78% said that they are interested in clubs. Clubs can be a significant part of a student’s experience. You can make friends, try out new interests, and learn about things you care about. Many freshmen are entirely new to the club experience because their middle schools didn’t have the same opportunities Woodside does.

“I had no clubs at my other school,” freshman Mira Ranganthan said. “We had after-school sports but they weren’t that good.”

Certain kinds of clubs are meant to give freshmen valuable tools.

“[Academic clubs] sound fun, because you also learn skills that you could do in the future.” freshman Kyle Estrada mentioned.

Other clubs help bring students together and teach them about themselves.

“I feel like [my club] is community and social,” freshman Fernanda Ramirez said. “I joined Ceramics and the Latino Club. My parents [said] they wanted me to learn more about my culture and I also want to do that.”

Ceramics was shown to be the most popular club in our freshman survey. 

“[Ceramics is] a very hands-on approach to art. So for me, ceramics feels like something that I can make and be proud of because I made it myself,” freshman Madelyn Nakanishi said.

Clubs can help new students find a community of people who have similar interests, like the K-pop or Koreo club for K-pop fans.

“I love K-pop, I’m very into it,” Nakanishi commented. “I don’t meet a ton of people who are into K-pop so I thought it would be really cool to meet more people who are into the same things.”

Many freshmen are still learning about themselves and what they want to do, and clubs offer plenty of new things to try out.

“It’s a good way of experimenting with what I like to do,” Ranganathan said. “I’m going to join a few other clubs just to meet new people.”

Certain clubs like the Octagon Club are available to students to set them up with public and community service opportunities.

“I’m excited for Spooktacular,” freshman Octagon club member Jillian Scott said. “It’s an [Octagon Club] event where you help do carnival games with little kids.”

Many freshmen thought clubs could add to their education.

“[Clubs] are not my top priority, but I think they’re definitely good for building the basis of interpersonal skills like meeting new people,” Nakanishi stated.

Even with little club experience so far, Ramirez saw the importance of clubs’ positive effect on a student’s high school years. 

 “I feel like [clubs] help you through your high school years,” she said. “It helps you communicate with more people and learn more about the high school experience.”