Once the school day is about halfway through, Carlmont students get to take a 45-minute break from their classes.
Lunch is a time for students to unwind. Whether that entails time for socializing, doing homework, or pursuing an extracurricular is up to the student.
Some of the extracurriculars pursued by students include club meetings.
Carlmont has 116 clubs, ranging from Aloha Club to Red Cross Club to Dumbledore’s Army, according to the Carlmont Clubs List. With each club having its own distinct mission or theme, students must decide how to dedicate their time to clubs.
Some Carlmont students have joined multiple clubs, while others fully commit to just one.
Sedona Regan, a senior, is currently president of Ukulele Club, and she also participates in Carlmont Music Production Club, Protecting Animals Worldwide, Filipino Club, Polynesian Club, and Latinos Unidos.
“I chose to participate in multiple clubs because I find that it makes me really happy. Every club I am in focuses on something that I am very passionate about, for example, music, heritage, and animals. For me, it’s not a matter of having to balance all of these clubs because I simply enjoy each and every one of them. Also, most of these clubs don’t meet every week, so it’s not like I have to do something every lunchtime,” said Regan.
Isabel Harnett, a senior and the president of Feminist Club, admires participation in multiple clubs but chooses to allocate her time at lunch to only Feminist Club.
“Sometimes participating in many clubs can get a bit tiring, and you spread yourself too thin. One needs to decide where you would rather be and what you would rather focus your time on. Feminism is something I personally feel strongly about. I genuinely enjoy devoting my time to learning about it,” said Harnett.
Other students choose to dedicate their lunchtimes to things other than clubs.
“I have so many other school commitments and challenging classes that require the majority of my time, and if I were in a club, I would want to be able to make an impact. However, with the current amount of time that my classes consume, I wouldn’t be able to do that,” said Olive Peschel, a junior.
All students are welcome to join any of the clubs.
“You can still have fun at Carlmont without being in a club. However, it’s a great way to make friends and find things in common with people,” said Lucas Becker, a senior.