Clubs, Far as the Eye Can See

By Sam Zaslow-Braverman ‘23

    2020 was a year in which nearly every activity was altered to varying degrees, and in-school clubs at Golda Och Academy are no exception. With the rise of COVID-19, along with many other issues ranging in nature from social to political, many have risen to this era’s unique challenge to present fun activities with an eye toward the future. However, these transitions were not all easy.
    “There’s more of a technology barrier when it comes to clubs meeting,” sophomore Tali Goldman, creator of Artists Make Change, said. “For example, I’m fully remote, and my club advisor is also remote on Monday, so everyone who’s in-person comes into the classroom and Zooms in. That way we can all see and hear each other.”

Goldman also felt that the club’s content was influenced by current events and the need for a greater number of student activists.
“I thought about my two biggest interests, which are visual art and social justice, and I thought that combining the two would be a really interesting way to get people at school more involved in activism through an activity that they already enjoy and are more familiar with.”
While clubs have remained a place for students to unwind and socialize, junior Elan Wasserman, a member of GOA’s new Investment Club, feels that many in-school organizations have become increasingly focused.
“I actually think clubs are taken a little more seriously now. It wasn’t really important to everyone to go to clubs, but now it’s more serious,” Wasserman said. “It’s a good way to not be bored while learning and being productive. People are really enjoying it.”
Wasserman cited the advisor and president of the Investment Club, Mr. Fox and Ben Haase, as being especially helpful in simulating a typical market independent of the pandemic, which has taken a noticeable toll on the nation’s economy.
“[They] are doing a really good job of giving us a background of what the stock market would be like even without it being like it is now, and how things would normally be reacting,” Wasserman said. “It’s really informative and it's helping us a lot.”
COVID-19 is not the only condition that has affected GOA clubs. Racial unrest spanning the entire country has also had a large impact on these organizations. Sam Rigante, president of the Racial Justice Club, has noticed this tension and incorporated it into the group’s proceedings.
“I obviously wish we didn’t live in a society where I had to make a Racial Justice Club, but because that’s the case, I feel grateful that I have an opportunity to spread the message about what's going on in the world, and trying to achieve justice for marginalized communities,” Rigante said.
Rigante further explained that she tends to enjoy the technical challenges of the club.
“I’ve kind of enjoyed getting to [attend] over Zoom,” she said. “Personally, I feel like I’ve gotten to meet some great people, and I feel we’re discussing important things. We’re going to be doing fundraisers and all that, so I’m actually pretty comfortable with how my club’s been going.”
While unique challenges have proven difficult for clubs to surmount, many students feel the transition has been a part of the fun. The previous year has been a difficult one, and 2021 may have its own conditions. However, this has not stopped GOA students from utilizing their creativity and intelligence to rise to the challenge time and time again, reinventing and improving their clubs for everyone’s enjoyment.