It’s the first month of school here at St. George’s School for boys in British Columbia Canada. Students from all grades are given the opportunity to sign up for clubs. Club representatives and some staff set up what they call “the clubs fair”. The clubs fair is an event in the lower great hall of the senior school, Located at 4156 west 29th avenue.

The clubs fair is set up with tables lined up from side to side, and a middle section for students and teachers to walk through and sign up for the club of their choosing. The clubs fair gives the students a real introduction to the club, rather than just a sign-up form online. Not only is it a good learning experience for student leadership, but it’s a great way for club teams to see what potential audience they have. It gives club leaders the opportunity to try and advertise the club they are leading, and perhaps give a demo of what they will be doing during the year.

The Clubs Fair is set up by students and some staff. Tables are set up, and students are tasked with designing a catchy advertisement, a demo, or some colorful artwork. Whichever it may be, a few students will stand behind their designated tables waiting patiently for the lunch bell to ring. The entire clubs fair lasts from 12:30 – 1:45 PM. A common issue I found over the years of attending is that I did not know when the fair was actually happening, and I couldn’t really give it much thought beforehand. I wanted to know if it was just me, or if other students had similar issues. Majority of the responses were normal, and most people thought it was quite well done. I did receive some people complaining about lack of awareness about the event, which is something I related to in some ways.  I decided to interview one of the club leaders, Evan Lorant one of the representatives for the GSA. The GSA stands for Gay-Straight Alliance. The Gay-Straight Alliances are school/student-led and or community organizations. The GSA is found primarily in North American high schools and universities. The GSA provides a safe, and supportive environment for LGBTQ youth.

When I asked about his thoughts on the clubs fair, this what he had to say, “I think the clubs fair is a great event, but most people didn’t take it seriously, or don’t sign up for clubs at all.” I asked what strategy he used to get people to sign up “The GSA used candy such as starbursts to attract viewers, but we didn’t just bribe people. If people wanted a candy they had to take a card and on the card had the time of the meeting, and the room number.” “I think it’s hard to get your point across during the clubs fair when everyone is talking and walking. Most people just sign up for your club based off of candy or colorful posters not for the cause of the club.”

All in all, I think the overall thoughts on the clubs fair were positive, but some improvements could be made, such as more exclusive viewings for clubs, or perhaps a quieter environment.