Twisty Puzzle Society decorated their table with colorful rubix cubes.
Taylor Shu ’28, Ava Cai ’27, and Cat Smith ’27 promoted Students In Medicine.
Lively chatter, colorful posters, and cheerful calls filled the Snyder Center (Snyder) last Friday as Andover’s annual Club Fair made its return. Dozens of student organizations showcased their passions and invited peers to get involved for another year of activities and community.
Throughout the academic year, Andover hosts several club-focused events, including the CaMD Clubs Showcase earlier this term and the New Clubs Fair in the winter. Christopher Capano, Director of Student Activities, reflected on how the Club Rally has evolved over time, both in logistics and accessibility.
“Over the years, the Club Rally’s date and time has moved around. It used to be a daytime event on a Sunday afternoon, and then it was a Saturday afternoon. Hosting it on a Friday night is good because it’s the end of the week. People have had a long week and want to have fun and see some clubs… Adding ClubHub has [also] made it easier to sign up for clubs. That’s a new change in the last two years. It used to be just a piece of paper and you put your name or your email address on it, and then it was up to the club to send you an email,” said Capano.
For many new students, the fair represents an entry point into Andover’s extracurricular life. Gabi Tinoco Ambriz ’28, a new Lower, described the fair as a chance to explore shared interests and discover new opportunities.
“Being a new student at Andover, I feel like I have to get involved, and going to the club fair is a way to find people who are interested in the same things as you, or similar things, and also try new things. I’ve never done Model UN, but I really wanted to try it this year, so I wanted to learn more information about it,” said Ambriz.
Ava Robinson ’29 enjoyed the fair and appreciated the opportunity to visit and learn about a variety of clubs, from long-standing organizations to new student initiatives. While she valued the excitement and community atmosphere, she also noticed several aspects of the event that could be improved to make the experience more welcoming and less overwhelming for participants.
“It was a bit overwhelming. There were a lot of people who came up to you and asked you [to join their club] a lot of times you felt very peer pressured, and it was a little awkward. I feel like if Snyder had allowed people to bring food, that would’ve been a much better experience, ” said Robinson.
For returning students like Ethan Liu ’26, the Club Fair was both a chance to recruit and a reminder of what inspired him to lead.
“A lot of how I present myself as a leader has come from me learning from observing and interacting with older students when I was a lower-classman. A lot of the older seniors and uppers that I looked up to at different clubs I went to showed a certain level of confidence, humility, and care, and made me feel heard and seen. It’s applicable not just to the clubs but to the rest of the school life and being a better person. Managing and planning for meetings is fulfilling to me when I find out that the hard work my board and I put in brings happiness and joy to the Andover community,” said Liu.
