Students Applaud Return of Club Activities for Second Semester
San Jose Unified School District updates club constitution and procedures to align with non-discrimination policy.
By Sydney Teves
San Jose Unified School District updates club constitution and procedures to align with non-discrimination policy.
By Sydney Teves
After the postponement of clubs at the beginning of the year, their long-awaited return has come just before the end of this semester. Leadership will most likely start approving clubs this month, allowing Club Rush and other club activities to resume by January, according to SJUSD Deputy Superintendent Stephen McMahon.
In order for SJUSD to make sure the universal non-discrimination policy will be enforced by all clubs, the district has updated standards in the club constitution, which is why clubs haven’t been allowed to return until now. The club application process is similar to how it was in the past, however, it now includes the extra step of club requests going to the district prior to going through Activities Director Michelle Mayhew and leadership. To create a club, students still needed to find an adviser that would give them space to hold the club, request to form a club, agree to follow all SJUSD’s policies, and then ask for formal recognition from ASB, before ASB votes whether or not to officially recognize the club.
McMahon said SJUSD never wanted clubs to be held back, but expressed that it was necessary to make sure all policies were upheld. He also recognizes the impact clubs have on campus, which is why the district worked as fast as it could to return them back to campuses.
“Clubs have an important purpose for the student body,” said McMahon. “It's an opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills, and students also have the opportunity to benefit not only their school community but often the outside community through community service and other functions.”
For some club presidents like Emily Wei, 12, president of Interact, a service club dedicated to helping their community, the situation has been confusing, causing them to feel unsure of how to proceed if clubs did not make a comeback.
“This return will be valuable for my college applications, as I will gain more experiences to write about. However, I would say that the return of clubs is beneficial far beyond just for my college application, but mainly for the well-being of the students on our campus who want to participate in more extracurricular activities and become more involved at school,” said Wei.
The process of revamping the club constitution was done by district members, including McMahon, who reviewed government documents, school board policies and mainly the ASB manual from the state to update the policies in order to best fit with the district’s practices.
“The main thing is ensuring that all the clubs consistently have a non-discrimination policy. So if it's an official school club, it needs to be open to all students. That includes membership, leadership and any activities the club may do,” said McMahon. “In the past, student groups had the ability to change the constitutions with a little bit more discretion than they do now. So we won't let a student group have a discriminatory statement in their constitution anymore.”
After being optimistic in the beginning of the year that clubs would return quickly, Jeff Hedlund, 12, president of Frisbee Club, is excited to resume his usual activities within the club.
“I’m really happy. So many people enjoy clubs and it’ll be great to have them back,” said Hedlund. “Our club is a ton of fun and we can’t wait to get back out in the field.”
In order for SJUSD to make sure the universal non-discrimination policy will be enforced by all clubs, the district has updated standards in the club constitution, which is why clubs haven’t been allowed to return until now. The club application process is similar to how it was in the past, however, it now includes the extra step of club requests going to the district prior to going through Activities Director Michelle Mayhew and leadership. To create a club, students still needed to find an adviser that would give them space to hold the club, request to form a club, agree to follow all SJUSD’s policies, and then ask for formal recognition from ASB, before ASB votes whether or not to officially recognize the club.
McMahon said SJUSD never wanted clubs to be held back, but expressed that it was necessary to make sure all policies were upheld. He also recognizes the impact clubs have on campus, which is why the district worked as fast as it could to return them back to campuses.
“Clubs have an important purpose for the student body,” said McMahon. “It's an opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills, and students also have the opportunity to benefit not only their school community but often the outside community through community service and other functions.”
For some club presidents like Emily Wei, 12, president of Interact, a service club dedicated to helping their community, the situation has been confusing, causing them to feel unsure of how to proceed if clubs did not make a comeback.
“This return will be valuable for my college applications, as I will gain more experiences to write about. However, I would say that the return of clubs is beneficial far beyond just for my college application, but mainly for the well-being of the students on our campus who want to participate in more extracurricular activities and become more involved at school,” said Wei.
The process of revamping the club constitution was done by district members, including McMahon, who reviewed government documents, school board policies and mainly the ASB manual from the state to update the policies in order to best fit with the district’s practices.
“The main thing is ensuring that all the clubs consistently have a non-discrimination policy. So if it's an official school club, it needs to be open to all students. That includes membership, leadership and any activities the club may do,” said McMahon. “In the past, student groups had the ability to change the constitutions with a little bit more discretion than they do now. So we won't let a student group have a discriminatory statement in their constitution anymore.”
After being optimistic in the beginning of the year that clubs would return quickly, Jeff Hedlund, 12, president of Frisbee Club, is excited to resume his usual activities within the club.
“I’m really happy. So many people enjoy clubs and it’ll be great to have them back,” said Hedlund. “Our club is a ton of fun and we can’t wait to get back out in the field.”