On March 31, the first ever Spring Revisit Day Club Fair was held for admitted students and their families. Hosted by the Admission Office in cooperation with the Committee on Student Activities (COSA), the event consisted of two parts: a 45-minute panel discussion with student leaders, and time for students and families to meet with clubs and their leaders over Zoom.
The event was hosted completely online due to the pandemic, yet the turnout was strong, with 149 students and 171 parents registered to attend. According to Ms. Brianne Ellis, one of the co-leaders of the Spring Revisit Day events, the panel consisted of “an overview of the opportunities available within the Student Activities Department,” with panelists “providing families with an overview of St. John’s, SAC, Boarcast, and clubs.” COSA President Allen Zheng ’21 moderated the panel, asking panelists about club life. Families were able to ask questions in the chat that were answered by Student Activities Center (SAC) Director Ms. Alexandra Long, Assistant SAC Director Ms. Kolleen Kazar, and Admission Officer Mr. Ryan Strange.
The panelists consisted of Abby Lu ’22 of Chinese Club; Berk Gokmen ’21 of Community Service Club; Naina Sharma ’21 of Choate Diversity Student Association; Claire Yuan ’21 of Choate Public Health; Niki Gummadi ’21 of March for our Lives; Tyler Neri ’21 of Ethics Bowl; Lani Day ’21, a Wellness Educator; and Luke Barrett ’21, the sixth-form Student Council President.
After the event, students and parents were provided with a list of club names as well as Zoom links through a shared spreadsheet. Although many admitted families joined the panel, the turnout for the second part of the Club Fair was much lower. Many clubs received no more than five visitors over the 45- minute session.
Max Su ’21, President of Asian Student Association (ASA), thanked the Admissions Office for their hard work and acknowledged the difficulties in holding virtual club fairs. “I personally prefer an in-person club fair just because it’s much easier to be friendly in-person. It’s definitely scarier to join a Zoom meeting than to walk up to a desk,” he said.
Max Fan ’21, President of Chess Club, agreed. “I think an in-person club fair can have a much bigger impact than [a] virtual club fair,” he said.
Rory Latham ’21, President of Choate Young Democrats, also cited time-zone differences as another potential reason for lower turnout, as admitted students can join from across the globe.
Ms. Kazar said, “Spring Visit Club Fair will continue in the future, although whether it will be in-person or virtual is not yet decided.”
