On August 30, 2024, Olympic Heights’ students gathered to showcase the multitudinous clubs and honor societies that our school offers, carrying on our school’s annual Club Rush tradition. This occasion provided students the chance to inquire about groups and gather insight with the intent of possibly signing up for clubs they find appealing. The faculty advisers and executive members carefully organized their objectives and advertised themselves for potential participants. With options ranging among nearly 60 clubs, you are bound to find your co-curricular or extracurricular fit!

According to the Princeton Review, participation amongst high schoolers in clubs at schools is a great way to “hone…communication skills, foster creative thinking, and teach [students] to work effectively with other[s].” Additionally, involvement in clubs demonstrates that students are not just focused on academics.  “Club rush is the perfect opportunity to discover new interests and connect with like-minded individuals throughout your four years in high school,” Student Government Association (SGA) President Lilly Gottfried conveyed.  By becoming a member of various clubs, students can engage and network with others who share comparable goals, fostering meaningful connections while simultaneously acquiring a broadened perspective on their possible career paths. Membership also opens doors for board recruitment and leadership opportunities to further highlight one’s abilities, and these leadership opportunities certainly pad students’ résumés for collegiate pursuits.

Without a doubt, OH’s DECA chapter is one of the most populous clubs, attracting a substantial number of students each year given its efficacious and inclusive mission to “prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management,” expressed Co-President Jacob Yaciuk. Being a part of DECA allows students to participate in competitions within a plethora of categories that can coincide with a majority of career fields, making it easy for just about anyone to find subjects that they are passionate about. Yaciuk elaborated on his club’s approach to Club Rush, portraying it as an enriching experience where they try to “reach as many people as possible, connect with prospective members and provide them the information they need to join.” Follow @heights.deca on instagram to learn more.

If students are interested in more thought-provoking activities, one intellectually stimulating opportunity is Philosophy Club. Camilo Herrera, vice president of Philosophy Club, explained his club’s mission: to “create a space on campus to allow students to respectfully speak about opinions while still allowing for discussion and challenges on viewpoints, along with getting people more interested in philosophy and philosophers.” By displaying engaging questions and discussion topics, Philosophy Club uses the club rush as a platform to serve as a reminder that “there is a philosopher in every kid and a kid in every philosopher.”

With the aim to establish a safe place for students to learn about Christ and the Bible, First Priority equips Christian students with the ability to apply and communicate their faith to other classmates, and it provides them the opportunity to invite those classmates to gain perspective through games, food, prayer, and fellowship. Because Club Rush is open to over 2000 students, Domenico Guadalupe, president of First Priority, remarked, “Club Rush is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” This means that some students might already have strong Christian values, and perhaps others are interested but don’t know where to begin.  Guadalupe expressed his gratitude for Club Rush as it aided in the convenient presentation of the club while also “creating meaningful connections with new members by going the extra mile to know them and creating a sense of loyalty.” First Priority meets on Thursdays after school, and their Google Classroom code is qrodeqd.

In addition to in-school clubs, Olympic Heights once again welcomed the Boca Raton community-based FIRST Robotics team, 3932: Dirty Mechanics. Mr. David Ferguson, the club’s Co-Founder, highlighted that being closely tied to Olympic Heights has enabled the team to “recruit 8th to 10th grade members for immersion into this mentoring program which is an ideal environment for students to explore their interest in engineering.” Ferguson placed emphasis on the importance of gender equality advocacy and having a profoundly engaged and committed group, “comprised of 50% boys and 50% girls and… a 3 to 1 student to mentor ratio.” Dirty Mechanics has also established a platform for OH’s Engineering academy to apply what they learn in the classroom to real life engineering projects with exciting, pulse raising, competitions using 140lb robots. The team also demonstrated their remarkable projects by featuring a custom robot and a slideshow of past competitions. If you would like to learn more about the team, feel free to visit www.dirtymechanics.org.

Overall, Club Rush has remained a paramount event for the Olympic Heights community, allowing students to promote the clubs that they are devoted to and invested in, while spreading that enthusiasm to aspiring recruits. This tradition has ignited interests, friendships, and motivation like none other. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to making this Club Rush wonderful, and we look forward to another marvelous school year!