Club Rush 2022

San Dimas High School’s annual Club Rush took place on September 13th and 14th in the quad. There were 44 clubs in total including the Rotary Interact Club and Best Buddies Club. Clubs give students many opportunities to meet new people, be involved in the community and school, and also give students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of many things. 

San Dimas’s Rotary Interact Club is important to be in because it is super beneficial and helpful for students and the community. President, Natalia Lopez (11) states, “Rotary Interact benefits not just our community here in SDHS but the entire community of Los Angeles as a whole. We host and participate in events that encourage kids to be healthy, collect food for veterans, keep the classrooms of SDHS clean, pick up trash on our beach shorelines, and much more to come this year”. Many students may be wondering what the Rotary Interact club is. Lopez explains that “Rotary Interact is a sub-branch of an international organization in which students can enjoy giving back to their community as young philanthropists”.

It all originally started when she attended a camp in her eighth-grade year. The club started in the 2021-2022 school year.  “I started the Rotary Interact club last year, but I initially got the idea for it in 8th grade when I attended the Rotary Teen Leadership Camp (TLC). My cabin leader was a senior in high school, so he told me about all the opportunities and philanthropy that the Rotary club does for the community. He suggested that I join the Rotary Interact club at my school, except SDHS didn’t have one… so I decided to start it myself,” she explains. When first starting the club, Lopez describes it as difficult since not many students were aware of what the club was, but this year the club got over eighty students to join.

“I started this club for students to experience new ways of community service that they could actually enjoy and take pride in because who wouldn’t want to have fun while also earning their SDCP hours?” Lopez states. Rotary Interact is not only beneficial to the community also to students to get their needed volunteer hours. The club helps students get the hours while also being enjoyable and fun experience for all. Lopez’s goals for the club this year are to include restaurant foods sold on campus for students, opportunities for students to earn gifts from selling raffle tickets, volunteer in local food drives and city events, and continue their ongoing events from last year. Students should join the club because it will help students gain their SDCP hours (even by just attending two to three events will almost guarantee ten hours), be involved in the community and school, and is one of the quickest ways to earn all the SDCP hours they need. The club usually meets every other Thursday in Mr. Hanson’s room during lunch. 

Another amazing San Dimas club is the Best Buddies Club. The club started about nine years ago and is still strong today. Secretary, Maddie Coss (11) explains that the club’s main focus is “to interact with the special ed students and create friendships”. This club is so important because, despite students’ differences, it allows them to come together and have a fun memorable time. “It brings our students together and lets us look past our differences,” Coss states.

The club this school year was not difficult to start back up, the club was a very popular idea. The club’s main goal this year is to hold the Best Buddies prom and overall just have fun. Coss says that they also plan to hold field trips and do interactive activities such as crafts and games as well. Students may be wondering what the club does. Coss explains that during their meeting times, “we hang out with our special ed friends and create genuine connections”.  Students should join the Best Buddies club because “our club is very rewarding and you get to make new friends,” she states. The club meets every Wednesday at lunch in B-1, right next to the cafeteria.