Shepaug Valley School has decided to allow school clubs to stay up and running during the Coronavirus pandemic, which has raised some concerns from the community. To ensure safety, the school has set in place some rules that must be followed. Most club meetings are held over Zoom, which can make it difficult for clubs like Spartan club, which rely on sporting events, to run the same. In an interview with Mr. Stinson, the leader of the student council, he explained that this club used to meet once a month during lunch and maybe once a week leading up to big events, but now during the pandemic, it is not the same.

“We have lost a large number of participants because we don’t have in person meetings anymore. We usually meet over zoom around 7pm, which can be an inconvenient time for some members”.

Mr. Stinson also feels that because events cannot be held where students get to see what the club is like, advertising has been difficult and almost no new members have joined.

“Sending out emails and adding members to Google Classroom does not promote the same amount or level of participation we used to get from members.”

Mr. Stinson feels his club is almost held at a standstill due to no events being held. After speaking with Mr. Stinson, we talked to a student of Shepaug, Cazden Brenner. Cazden is an active member of Future Business Leaders of America and Spartan club, which both rely on sporting events in order to function. FBLA runs the school store at games; such as homecoming, basketball games and even during lunch. Throughout the pandemic, FBLA has not been able to do any of this.

“Due to the lack of activity during Covid, we have not gained a single new freshman or sophomore. It’s frustrating, but everyone is doing the best they can with these circumstances.” said Cazden.

Spartan club is another club based around promoting school spirit. Spartan Club does a variety of activities within the community ranging from supporting the school during big games to taking trips to the elementary schools to interact and inspire the younger students. It is important that future students are aware of the different opportunities Shepaug has to offer when they get there. Spartan Club promotes sport and clubs, all as ways to get involved with their peers.

“I wish that we could still interact and motivate younger students, but it is extremely difficult to do when we cannot visit these elementary schools in person. We are doing the best we can right now, but can’t wait until things are back to normal.”

Life can be difficult during these times of uncertainty. Although clubs look a little different this year and things are not being run the same, it is important to stay positive and find new ways to stay motivated. Shepaug is working hard at doing so, while still keeping students distanced and safe.