Club Rush Connects Kodiaks to Campus Involvement

Elliot Tiegel, (11) a leader of Technology Student Association, advertises his club with a bold sign. Many students join TSA this school year to enhance their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math. Photo Credit: Audrey Slatta

On Friday, September 19, Cascade High School’s commons buzzed with excitement as students filed in for Club Rush, an annual event connecting CHS clubs with interested members. The leaders and representatives of Cascade’s 18 clubs came together during Flex with a goal to gain attention, and ultimately membership, for their clubs. Clubs are a big part of Cascade High School and are a great way to help students become more connected to each other and the school. They also supplement curriculum opportunities for students and are an excellent way to build a college or scholarship resume. 

Club Rush is a Leadership initiative now in its fourth year; however, for freshmen, this was their first experience with the event. “I think it was a cool concept to get to see all the clubs brought together. I signed up for Sports Med and Interact club, because they are the ones that I was the most interested in,” said Stella Peterson (9). 

More so than in other years, students were placed in charge of Club Rush as part of the new Introduction to Event Management and Planning class. Ada Missal (11) and Micah Wilder (12) were the managers of this year’s iteration. “Our goal for Club Rush was to get underclassman involved in clubs so they can become more connected with other students,” said Missal. 

 “Our goal for Club Rush was to get underclassman involved in clubs so they can become more connected with other students,” said Missal. 

As students filed into the cafeteria, they were intrigued by the posters and setups from the different clubs, as well as the club leaders promoting their clubs and educating students about what their club does. “We tr[ied] to get the students to go to the clubs they are drawn to based off their interests, rather than forcing them,” explained Missal. 

While many clubs are well established at Cascade, two new clubs were present at Rush this year: Rock Climbing and ASL. ASB is hopeful that new clubs will help appeal to the varied interests and hobbies of the CHS student population. The mission of Rock Climbing Club is to help students “develop outdoor skills and a sense of adventure in our local community.” ASL “club promotes the use of sign language and helps students develop their ASL skills.” 

Many clubs saw signups increase from previous years, and managers Missal and Wilder rushed to provide leaders with additional sign-up sheets during the event. “Club Rush helped Rock Climbing club, because it brought attention to the club, and we gained lots of new and excited members,” said Ingrid Stockman (11), one of the Climbing Club leaders. 

Club Rush may have passed, but it is never too late to join in on the fun. Many clubs are meeting during Bear Block, and interested students simply need to sign up on Minga to join. Another option is to speak to the advisor and/or student leaders of the clubs offered. It is never too late to sign up for a club if you are still interested.