Elective and Club Fair Introduce New Opportunities to Students

Colorful flyers exchanged hands as students milled around the space in front of the PAC for the second semester Elective and Club Fair during homeroom and lunch on Friday.

During Homeroom, the elective classes spread out their wares as class representatives talked to interested students.

Senior Delilah Forrest from healthcare essentials, biotech, and anatomy and physiology said, “I have found [these classes] to be interesting and enjoyable, but you can still learn a lot from them.”

About these science electives, senior Ray Mosko said, “It gives a great opportunity for people to find their passion” as well as providing a free and easy way to get one’s CPR certification.

Senior Andrew Naimark, representing AP environmental science, said, “It’s not all homework; it has field trips spread out through the entire year and the labs are really fun.” With trips to the San Elijo Lagoon and the cemetery, Naimark said the class “keep[s] the school really healthy as we take a lot of action in our class and develop ways to improve the campus.”

Showing up to both the elective and club fair, creative writing had its table decked with their student-written literary magazine from past years. Student representative, junior Emma Toscani, said, “This class contributes an offbeat sense of community and helps build the uniqueness to SDA that you won’t find at many other public schools.”

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Patrick Hall

At the club fair during lunch, from Mission Mustang to the International Club, students stood behind their booths talking to potential members.

Junior Olivia Hussey, president of the community Performing Arts Club, used her booth to educate students about the community service-based performances they do featuring a variety of acts from bagpipes to monologues. The club is planning on doing a fundraiser for the SDA Casa de Luz Club in addition to two other performances coming up this term.

The club fair also saw new clubs looking for more interested individuals. Clubs like Operation Hero at Camp Pendleton is new this year and is looking for people to join them on their trips every Tuesday to mentor kids. The club goes to the south gate of Camp Pendleton just north of Oceanside, which club president junior Sophia Zhu said is “maybe a 25 minute drive on the highway.”

Students walking around campus during these fairs found them an effective way to learn about what is out there for them. Forrest said, “I know there are a lot of [people who come over and say ‘Oh, I didn’t even know that class existed.’”

After joining the Harry Potter Club, junior Alex Rosseinsky said clubs provide the opportunity to “meet new people, do new stuff, [and] find new hobbies.”

While some students are just there for the food, students like freshman Izzy Correa are looking to join clubs for a “different lunchtime experience.”

Sophomore Logan Thralls said, “There are a lot of people with strong opinions here and it gives them a platform to express themselves.”

“I feel like everyone’s club is a representation of what they enjoy and what they like to do,” senior Edmond Zaide said. “Clubs are a good opportunity for people to do what they want to do.”