Clubs capture, reflect student interests

In 1952, the Rockhurst Gun Club’s participants were able to practice their shooting on the school’s rifle range. Today, students wanting to improve their aim do so with an Xbox and a projector screen in the Video Game Club.

These common interests are what motivate students to participate in and form clubs.

On September 22, Rockhurst freshmen were given the chance to familiarize themselves with different clubs and speak with various members and leaders at the annual Club Fair.

The event is organized each year to give freshmen a jump-start on finding clubs to join. and students are told about the importance of getting involved in as many ways as possible.

For many students, finding a club to get involved in is no problem. Boasting more than 30 independent clubs, Rockhurst has an array of ways to get involved.

For senior Thomas Lukens, vice president of the Young Republicans Club, all it took for him to join a club was an interest and the right timing.

“I was involved in the first Young Republicans [Club] meeting. Sean [Dennehy, club president,] told me he was creating a club and to stop by. I really got interested in it because, at the time, the 2008 presidential election was happening,” Lukens said.

Almost all clubs have different types of members, from hardcore enthusiasts who make it to every event to the students who sign up for the club, but never attend any subsequent meetings.

“With athletics, you have to be there at practice or you’re not on the team, but with a club, there’s a core [of group leaders and participants] that keeps coming… the whole roster is really fluid,” Mr. Mike Heringer, assistant principal for student affairs, said.

One of the main reasons students choose to “get involved” is to make their college applications look more impressive, according to college counselors at Rockhust.

This can sometimes lead students to join multiple clubs but not attend any of the meetings; a practice frowned upon by club moderators and club leaders alike.

“If you’re in a club, colleges want to see that you’re in that same club for four years. They want to see you as an officer in that club. They want to see that you have accomplished something in that club,” Mr. Jay Coleman, college counselor, said.

One person who has become very involved in his chosen club is senior Max Kenney, president of the Video Game Club.

Since stumbling onto the club his sophomore year, Kenney has not only been a regular at club meetings, but has donated gaming materials to the club and has organized tournaments and special club meetings.

“I originally was involved in the Young Democrats Club, but that didn’t last, so one day during activity period, I followed a friend into the Video Game Club,” Kenney said.

Before dissolving, the Young Democrats club held meetings during the U.S. Presidential election of 2008; their formation largely in response to the formation of the Young Republicans Club.

When the election ended, almost all club activity did too.

Clubs at Rockhurst also vary in size, from the larger clubs like the Spirit Club and Video Game Club to the smaller ones like Piano Club and Book of the Month Club. This variation in size is almost entirely due to the level of student interest in a club.

Mr. Rich Wikiera, Herpetology Club moderator, believes that the lack of members in the Herpetology Club is due in part to the reptiles being open for anyone to see in the room. Because students get to handle the animals without formally joining, only about 12 people frequent the club.

The size of a club can also be due to reputation; as more students hear about a certain club, more are interested in joining.

Junior Jack Bohnenstiehl, member of the Improv Club, believes the club not only has a strong central group of recurring participants but boasts a large number of students who just like to watch.

“We love what we do and are happy to do it. We’re always open for new members, and get them doing improv scenes and games right when they come in, and there’s always a group of guys content to sit and watch us practice,” Bohnenstiehl said.

Even if one finds all Rockhurst’s established clubs unappealing, nothing is stopping him from starting his own. So long as they stem from the interest of the students, clubs will have more to offer than a bullet point on a college resume.

Tags Club Fair clubs features Students interests