Clubs during Covid: What changes are implemented with health and safety in mind?

By: Noah Haskins and Quinn Shive

The whole world has been changed by the global pandemic and it’s undeniable that our way of living has been completely uprooted by this change. For many students, the way they go through their day to day basis is completely alien to them. 

One of the biggest parts of high school are the clubs you have access to. You can join a group of likeminded people and have fun and interact with people who have the same interests as you do. At WHS in particular, we have all sorts of clubs from robotics to drama to biking and everything in between. 

Nowadays, COVID-19 has changed the way students participate in these clubs. We interviewed Mr. McKinnon, the advisor of the weightlifting club, about these changes. He told us a little about his club, he said, “Weight lifting club is where any student can come and learn the proper way to strength train.”

When asked about what changes have been made due to the virus, Mr. McKinnon said, “COVID has altered how our club will operate.  For one, we are going to assign lifting groups per squat rack, this way the same students will workout together each day.  Also, we will be completing a self-assessment google form each day.  This form allows the student to recognize if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID.  During our workouts, we are required to wear masks to help prevent any spread.” 

One of the clubs completely flipped on its head is our drama department, run by Mr. Roets. We asked him the biggest negative aspect of the situation that's affected his club, he told us, “Not being able to rehearse together. Due to social distancing, we have to rehearse from home.”

When asked about the participation rate this year, oddly enough they both had opposite responses with Mr. McKinnon saying, “At this time, we have not had any changes in our participation rate.  The occasional absence from a student still happens if they get called into work or something comes up.” 

Mr Roets had a different experience, saying, “Yes, mainly because we have to do it online and people are tired of being online”

Both clubs have had to change how they operate significantly, but it goes to show how much these clubs mean to the students and teachers, continuing to do what they love no matter the barriers in the way. 

When asked about overcoming these boundaries, Mr. Roets told us, “It has pushed us to become more creative than we have  ever had to be. We are releasing an episodic play instead of one large-scale production.” 

Mr. McKinnon put our lives in the midst of a global pandemic best, saying, "When adversity hits, there are only two options...fold and quit because that's easy, or take it head on and get better!  We teach our student-athletes to take it head on.  This is a huge life lesson, and they are conquering it!”

To find more information about clubs, click this link, which brings you to the club page of the WHS Website.