Sizing up clubs
Mu Alpha Theta has 65 registered members. French clubs has less than 10. How do they compare?
Ann Gao
Answers to a math sheet were written on the board by various students during a Mu Alpha Theta meeting as preparation for a math competition
Bigger is not better when it comes to clubs. Big clubs can have their ups and downs. Small clubs can have their ups and downs. With over 65 members and less than 10, respectively, Mu Alpha Theta and French club know this well.
Mu Alpha Theta, the school’s biggest academic club (according to a promotional packet), has its share of advantages and disadvantages. “There are more students, more moving parts [in a larger club],” said James Kirpes, a sponsor of Mu Alpha Theta.
During Mu Alpha Theta, students talk frequently, sometimes over the teacher or the person giving a lecture. There are definitely more students to keep track of, provide snacks for, take to math competitions and clean up after.
However, big clubs are not entirely without benefits. “I consider [having more students] an advantage. I get to meet more students and work with more students,” said Kirpes. Fatima Mohamed ’18, a Mu Alpha Theta member, said that Mu Alpha Theta being a large club is preferable to it being a small club and that working with large groups helps her solve math problems.
As one of the smallest clubs at West, participation in French club is definitely an issue. “There’s a limited amount of input [for French club] and it’s harder to get the word out when we do big projects like [Fête d’Halloween] and [having less students in French club] requires kids that are in French club to do more work and provide more resources,” said Sydney McDermott, a teacher involved with French club. I’d prefer if French club was bigger so more stuff would happen, said Joshua D’Souza ‘21, a member of French club. “It gets a little boring with only eight people showing up every time,” said a member who attends French club regularly.
Despite these challenges, small clubs have their benefits. During French club, most people listen to the teacher presenting. There aren’t a lot of disruptions and it’s quiet most of the time. The teacher never has any trouble keeping the students in order and the room never requires much cleaning up because French club is relatively small.
While the experience may be different, both clubs offer the opportunity to meet people with similar interests and hobbies.