Hundreds of students gathered on Cypress Field at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14 during X-block for the annual club fair. The event was the first to utilize the newly reopened Cypress Field.

The atmosphere was vibrant as clubs of all kinds vied for the attention of prospective members, with many incorporating music and interactive elements into their pitches.

A number of affinity groups used this year’s format to help get new students involved. Senior Nemiera Lal, president of South Asian Student Alliance, said the in-person event gave them a distinct advantage over the club recruiting process in previous years.

“Finding members for the club online was a mess. It was so hard to get people involved as well as making sure they stayed. Returning to in-person is really helpful for creating a strong club environment,” Lal said.

Lal spoke about the importance of safe spaces for minority groups. Lal said the organization has fostered community by organizing events and festivals of importance to South Asian cultures, and the club fair allowed them to reach a broader audience.

Girls rugby made an appearance as one of the event’s handful of sports teams. Senior and captain Samantha Dickerman said that as a relatively new team, the platform provided a unique opportunity.

“The club fair gives us a chance to show the entire school how important our sport is to us. Forming the girls program during a pandemic presented a lot of challenges, so as a new team we’re always excited to do a little advertising,” Dickerman said.

Also present was newly-formed a capella group On Key, Off White. Student leader and senior Elina Kasida explained the group’s niche at the school.

“A group of us in performing arts at BHS noticed a lack of representation within the department and we wanted to do something to change that,” Kasida said. “We started this group specifically for non male-identifying people of color singers to create a space where everyone could feel comfortable creating.”

The school’s unique club creation structure is an advantage, Kasida said. The low bar for entry as a club at the high school, requiring only four members and a teacher, creates a broad range of groups for students to participate in.

Sophomore attendee Eamon Boshell also said the diversity in the range of clubs to join is one of the high school’s strengths.

“It gives people an outlet that they might not find in regular classes,” Boshell said. “Many clubs have a more informal atmosphere that promotes an inclusive culture and reduces stress so people can think of them as less of a chore and more of a fun time.”