Eva Levin copy editor
Candice Anvari staff writer
In an effort to encourage students to join clubs amid the pandemic, ASB hosted virtual Club Day on Sept. 9 via Zoom. The event was the first of its kind online at Beverly, with both students and teachers alike adapting to new methods of club recruitment. 
Before the virtual event, ASB sent students a full directory of clubs which included a “Learn More” page and a Zoom link for each club. A click on one of the Zoom links would quickly whisk the student away to a specific virtual meeting where they could meet and interact with club leaders and other members. The roster included all 72 clubs, including 45 new groups. ASB Head Row President senior Nahal Sarafian oversaw the virtual event. 
Despite Sarafian and the rest of ASB’s goal to “keep everything as similar” to face-to-face school as possible, the effects of virtual Club Day proved that online events just aren’t the same. 
 In the California Association of Student Councils (CASC) club, junior president Eli Ramer noticed a decrease in attendance in his club, but he believed any kind of publicity was “nice.”
Sarafian believes virtual Club Day will have a “negative impact” on the size and efficiency of clubs. She noted that smaller clubs are “absolutely not the goal,” but recognizes that online recruitment is the only way to work around the pandemic.  
Still, Sarafian also found a silver lining. 
 “In a way, [online clubs] might be better because students who join the club will be more committed,” Sarafian said. “At least, bringing [clubs] forward is a way of telling students there are still these opportunities.” 
Not all clubs faced a decrease in attendance. For the BHHS Film Society, junior president Jennifer Li believes virtual Club Day won’t alter her club’s participation due to her use of alternative recruiting methods, like using social media. However, Li believes Zoom meetings will not give club members the same experiences they would have had in school. 
“The lack of in-person contact will definitely affect us a lot,” Li said. “A big part of our club is learning how to make movies, which is a lot harder to do over Zoom. We’re not 100% sure on how we’ll get over that obstacle, but right now we’re just focusing on the film analysis aspect of our club.”  
Although the pandemic presented unforeseeable challenges, ASB will continue to organize interactive events for students. 
“We are not going to let this situation that is unchangeable stop us from doing what we need to do and creating a positive environment through our computers,” Sarafian said. 
If students could not attend Club Day and are interested in joining a specific club, they can contact club leaders via email, which can be found on the ASB club roster.