The Covid-19 virus affects both students and administrators worldwide, and the rapid change to virtual learning has created a multitude of problems for schools, with SPHS being no exception. For clubs, however, the global pandemic has been particularly challenging.

“Our numbers have gone down significantly since we started meeting virtually,” Mr. Boorman from the Science Fiction Club said. “Online meetings have impacted my ability to relate to students significantly. In a normal club meeting, I am walking through the room, making sure that everything is OK, and I get a great chance to interact with everyone. Virtually, I am using two computers and four monitors to run a main room and eight breakout rooms. I am monitoring nine windows at once, and that gives very little time to interact.”

Social distancing can be especially problematic for recent initiates who may be timid around their peers. “A lot of us are close already from past years of working together. However, we’re also used to seeing each other for many hours in a week, so there has been less interaction overall,” Matthew Meleney, president of tech crew explained. “Talking to new members is difficult as well due to the nature of online learning.”

Ms. Bowman, SGA adviser, noted that it isn’t easy to forge relationships via conference call. New members are still nervous, not comfortable with unmuting.

“I speak when I am asked something,” Ethan Gaver, a recent member of the  newspaper club said. The abilities gifted to students by Google Meet create an unsettling and silent social environment.

And even when clubs do manage to get a conversation going, there often isn’t much to do. “Participation for us has definitely been decreased, mostly due to the fact that, as a Stage Crew, we cannot participate in anything officially at this time,” Meleney said. “There is virtually no engagement for us currently. Stage Crew is an activity that teaches through action and experience; you learn from those more experienced then you while facing many things head-on, such as construction or cabling. It’s easy to sit in a google meet and talk about our experiences with crew, but in reality, it doesn’t really impart any knowledge. Our meets are mostly just to fill time and stay partially engaged with the Drama program.”

Thankfully, not all virtual activities require in-person communication. “For some games, like Role-Playing Games and such, there is very little difference,” Boorman said. “Games like Among Us, which exploded during the Pandemic are gaining a solid foothold here. The Anime group is surviving, and I believe they will grow. Activities like the writer’s circle, artists groups, the anime, group, the cosplayers, and others have essentially gone on hiatus during the pandemic. The informal groups of students who just hang out together and chat still exist, but they exist outside of the club structure. I do not yet know how the conditions of our return will impact the free books and bagels that were very popular with our members, but I suspect that there will be some changes due to health concerns. Of course, we will comply with those new rules/procedures, but this is another example of how this situation could (and most probably will) create a ‘new normal’ within which Sci-Fi will learn to adapt, survive, and thrive.”

Despite ongoing challenges, some club administrators have found a silver lining.  Bowman’s club had twice the number of students tryout than the previous year. “On a personal note, I know the pandemic has made me more appreciative of many things, such as how I spend my time or who I spend my time with,” Meleney said. “This of course includes my time in Stage Crew.”

However, balancing work and extracurriculars has remained consistent. “I attend the club whenever I do not have too much homework,” Gaver said. In these uncertain times, we should be thankful that there is anything to attend at all.

Copy of SPHS Club list 2020-2021