The smell of salty sea air, a cool wind whooshing by, and the sound of crashing waves is the perfect setting for the members of Ocean Club, a group of Carlmont students devoted to loving and appreciating the ocean.
Ocean Club is comprised of about 20 regular members, including the President and founder Liam Gunning, Vice President Lucas Becker, and advisor Joshua Engberg, who all meet on the first and third Wednesdays of every month in room U23.
“I started Ocean Club because as my friend-sphere grew through my high school years, I met more and more people with a similar love for the ocean that I have. I felt bringing all those people together would increase our love for the ocean and its ecosystems,” said Gunning, a junior and club president.
And the club does just that, bringing people together who have all kinds of curiosity related to the ocean.
“Ocean Club is super cool if you are interested in surfing, protection of the ocean, conservation, ocean mechanisms, or anything else that goes on in or around the ocean,” said Max Ladabaum, a junior.
This may seem like a lot for one club to cover, but Sophomore Sarah Brown didn’t find the club difficult or intimidating to get involved in at all.
“A couple of my friends were doing it and they said it was fun so I thought ‘why not’ and decided to join,” said Brown.
She hasn’t regretted the decision to join and has been enjoying it since.
“I’ve been in Ocean Club since the beginning of this year, and I like how it’s very casual and it has a lot of people in it that share the same interests as me,” said Brown.
Many other members also agree that communal enthusiasm about the topics that Ocean Club discusses are very important.
“I really like meeting with different people who I wouldn’t normally meet and think that they share common interests with me,” said Becker.
Even Engberg shares Ocean Club’s interest. Club members describe him as a person “who surfs and is an ocean lover himself.”
The club primarily talks about surfing, advocates for the protection of the ocean and its ecosystems, and fosters a love for the sea. In the future, the club hopes to get involved with fundraising for organizations that try to improve ocean life all around the world.
“Ocean club stands for people to enjoy the ocean; to enjoy the ocean we must help the ocean environment, educate ourselves about the ocean, and lastly, go and have fun in the ocean,” said Ladabaum.
