Connecting with Clubs at MGCI Clubs Fair

On 5 October, students competed in a forensics scavenger hunt to investigate a murder with HOSA, watched Principal Di Felice enjoy playing poker with Poker Club, and decorated cookies with Biology Club. These were all activities organized by student leaders at the MGCI Clubs Fair, which helped to spread awareness of clubs and give students a chance to get involved. A total of over forty clubs were present, including, but not limited to, Health and Awareness Club, Eco Team, Robotics, Photography Club, and Singing Club. 

Students explored a variety of clubs and organizations, learned about their purpose, meeting dates, and events throughout the year. Through engaging in interactive activities and buying food from clubs, students had a lunch period to remember.

A week prior to the event, many clubs shared information about their activities through posters around the school, social media posts, and shared short messages over the announcements. Student leaders also created poster boards to showcase their club community, competitions, and awards, to be displayed during the Fair. 

During the Clubs Fair lunch, students ran around the school trying to visit as many club booths as possible. The majority of clubs were presented in the cafeteria and the library, but many were also in classrooms and the Galleria, allowing students to walk all around the school to find activities to do. 

The clubs committee also offered a sweet incentive for students to explore a variety of clubs. At the beginning of the Fair, students received a bingo sheet with club names in each square. They brought their sheet to each club they visited and had club leaders sign off. The first twenty-four people that visited every booth and presented their filled sheet to a Student Activities Council (SAC) member would receive a candy prize.

During the Fair, several clubs, such as FBLA, Chemistry, and Debate Club, also offered treats to students. For certain clubs, completing an activity was a prerequisite: at the Debate Club booth, students had to convince the executives of an unpopular opinion in order to receive chocolate. 

In addition, several clubs also held interactive activities and games. HOSA set up a scavenger hunt that took students all throughout the school to solve a forensic-science-related mystery, to find out “Who killed Pyper?” Students followed a series of clues, from analyzing fine details in a crime scene description to matching a fingerprint on a wall in order to win chocolate and get insight into the world of HOSA.

The Poker Club set up a table in front of the cafeteria and played poker with the school community. Students were offered five chips to begin playing with and received different prizes depending on whether they participated or managed to win a game against executives. Michael Wen, a Grade 10 student that visited the club’s booth and later joined as a member, reflected on the club’s activity and said, “I’d say I enjoyed it a lot. I thought Poker Club was a great way to meet new friends while playing a high stakes game.”

Eco Team took a unique hands-on approach–after setting up in room 227, students visiting were offered the opportunity to plant plants that they could either take home or leave at the school to grow. They first created their own plant pots by reusing newspapers. Then, they put soil in and dug a hole to the bottom to plant the seeds. Choosing from either parsley or lettuce, students started growing their own vegetables–many of which are still present in the classroom growing under a special lamp. 

From the Fair, students obtained meaningful experiences and beneficial information to get involved in the school. When asked about how she felt participating in the Fair, Grade 9 student Amy Lie said, “I thought it was cool that there was such a variety of different clubs, and all the activities were super fun.” Club leaders also found this experience rewarding. Eco Team’s Vice President, Sophie Yee said, “It was super great to see everyone so excited to make their own planters and learn more about the environment through gardening,” explaining that the club was effectively able to reach out to the student community. 

SAC Senior Clubs Coordinator, Saivenkat Jilla, who led the planning of the fair reflected on the event, saying that the work he put in with the help of the SAC, club leaders, administration, teachers, and caretaking was “definitely worth it” as the Fair was “a huge success, with many students enjoying it and getting exposed to the variety of clubs that MGCI has to offer.” Looking ahead, Paromita Roy, the SAC President, also described the future of these interactive fairs: “Because of the amazing turn-out, we’re planning on having another Clubs Fair in the spring–so if you didn’t get a chance to see Mr. Di Felice play poker or sing karaoke with Singing Club, you’ll get it in due time! The Student Activities Council will work towards even better things in the future, so stay tuned!”