UHS’s annual Eighth Grade Family Night was hosted on April 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Dozens of clubs set up booths at the crossroads to promote their organizations to incoming freshmen.
Sophomore Jolie Quary was one of several students who represented Drama Club, a subgroup of the UHS Theatre Arts program that focuses on a broad range of theatre arts, from playwriting to technical theater.
“I think it’s a great place to build community because we have everyone here from different grade levels of UHS supporting their clubs . . . and promoting them to future people of UHS,” Quary said.
The event is a cushion for incoming freshmen in their transition from middle school to high school, allowing many students to explore their interests and connect early on.
“It introduces a lot of what you guys do at this school, and it just helps the incoming ninth graders warm up to the school,” eighth grader Miya Kazantseva said.
Kazantseva plans to join the Drama Club and Dance Company Club, following in the footsteps of her older sibling, who is currently attending UHS.
Besides Drama Club, many other clubs showed up at the event, hoping to raise membership and awareness. Senior Esther Tsabba and her co-presidents, junior Gidget Smith and senior Sky Jafar, represented the Youth Action Team. YAT is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the City of Irvine to bring volunteer opportunities and service projects to students.
“I feel like you really need to start with clubs as soon as you get to UHS,” Tsabba said. “It’s kind of a competitive academic environment, but getting a foot in the door early on is really helpful.”
With over a hundred clubs at UHS, from the Tennis Foundation to Model United Nations, there is an activity for every student, and events like Eighth Grade Family Night are vital to ensuring clubs continue to retain membership and bring students together into future years.
“I think it’s a really great turnout,” Tsabba said. “Knowing what’s out there before you go to high school gives you something to look forward to.”
