At the beginning of every school year, there is one special day. Students gather from all grade levels to share food, bring up ideas, and promote awareness about various activities and causes. There is a rush everywhere as students run around the gym with their friends trying to sign their name on almost everything possible. This is Club Rush.

Club Rush is one of the greatest lunch events held on campus, and it is coming up on Wednesday, September 10. Although, students can join a club at any time during the year, this event is a time for the clubs to advertise themselves to potential members.

At both student lunches, many SMCHS clubs will have sign-up sheets, information about their club, and treats and food for students.

“Club Rush is a great way to get informed about all the possibilities,” said junior Kathryn Luher. “It is also a great way to meet new people.”

Students interested in creating a new club or continuing their existing one have to follow specific instructions to apply for club active status, and there are some changes to the application this year.

“We wanted to make it easier for students this year,” said junior Rachel Hershorin, Associated Student Body Commissioner of Clubs.

The club application for both new and returning clubs is located on the SMCHS webpage under Activities.

“All the club constitutions and applications are under one document this year,” Hershorin said. “That was one of our major changes. We have one document for returning clubs and one for new clubs.”

Finding a moderator is the first step after downloading the application. The moderator is a SMCHS faculty or staff member who agrees to advise the club for the school year. They are involved in the scheduling process, meetings and fundraisers, and any other business regarding the club.

“Another change we have is the introduction of meeting slips,” Hershorin said. “Each club is required to hold a meeting every month and submit a meeting slip. After two months of no meetings, a club is reviewed and considered inactive for the remainder of the school year.”

While filling out the application, the students will decide what category the club will fall under. If it is a service club, they have one extra step.

“If the club will be a service club, Campus Ministry needs to sign off that club members will receive service hours,” Hershorin said. “While this makes it harder to be a service club, it makes it easier on Campus Ministry and the students to make sure they get their service hours.”

After the application is completed, the student will submit it to the Associated Student Body Commissioner of Clubs for approval. If the club is reapplying for active status they will have to include another section.

“For renewing clubs, they have to include what they accomplished last year as a club,” Hershorin said. “It really helps everybody out, including us. It shows they are really serious about continuing. Hopefully all these changes will be better for everyone.”

Last school year, there were over 70 clubs on campus. With the new categories ranging from academic/extra-curricular, to service, to humanitarian clubs, there’s a club for everybody. There are clubs to help non-profit organizations, clubs to raise awareness, and even clubs to merely have fun in.

“There are so many kinds of clubs,” Luher said. “There are ones that you can hang out with other students doing something you love, and there are ones that really help make a good impact on the community.”

All students have the opportunity to join or start a club, whatever their interests are. To get an idea about what the clubs do and who they support, Club Rush is the perfect occasion.