Expand your horizons with clubs at Catalina

Everyone knows what a club is, a place where like minds can form a judgment-free community and make friends who have similar interests, goals, or ideals as you do. And while school clubs are found at the heart of any academic setting, there are some clubs at Catalina that cannot be found anywhere else. Keep reading to find out more about some of my favorite Catalina clubs, some clubs you can’t miss, and what makes all of them so special!

B. R.E.A.L. Clubs
While as a performer I may be biased, my favorite Catalina clubs are by far the B. R.E.A.L. clubs. B. R.E.A.L. is an acronym for a group of five performing arts clubs that perform at a show in the second semester of every school year. The B stands for B.U.R.R.I.T.O. (another acronym, but no one really knows what this one means), the comedy-improv club where you perform skits, play improv games, act out scenes, and more. If you know how to get a good laugh out of someone, this is the club for you. The R stands for Reverb, where you can learn how to write songs and perform in a band—perfect for those who can play an instrument or have a great voice. The E stands for ecco!, the a capella group; A is for Accents, the dance group; and L stands for Lady Rhythmics, the body percussion group.

I had the privilege of being part of ecco! from my sophomore to senior year. One piece of advice I would give to anyone looking to join a club is don’t be afraid to join one even if you are not a specialist in the club’s focus. Expand your horizons. You have to audition to get into the B. R.E.A.L. clubs, and that detail absolutely terrified me as a freshman, so I didn’t audition for anything that year. Little did I know that ecco! would be such an important, transformative piece of my Catalina puzzle. I first auditioned thinking I had no chance of getting in; I thought these clubs were strict and no-nonsense and the members would be the same way. In reality, everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Some of my favorite Catalina memories came from ecco!, from karaoke competitions, rap battles, and silly rehearsals. I also met some of my closest friends in the club while learning how to sing a capella and improve some technical singing skills. I was lucky enough to become a co-head of the club my junior and senior year, hoping to share this amazing, original Catalina experience with more students.

Service Clubs
One category of clubs at Catalina is service clubs. These include Children’s Fund, Alegria Smile Fund, and Peace & Justice. These clubs have been a part of Catalina for a long time, meaning they have made a long-lasting impact on not only the members, but the people that these clubs serve.

Catalina Children’s Fund is dedicated to helping five kids in disadvantaged parts of the world fund their schooling, necessities, and other parts of their daily lives. Throughout the year, the club plans fundraisers like bake sales, movie nights, and donation drives. Alegria has a similar concept of fundraising, and they are focused on raising money for kids born with cleft lip. The club may be best known on campus for their bake sales during and after every school theater performance. You don’t have to be a member of these clubs to take part in their events, which are always enjoyable!

Peace & Justice is a club where students can get together and discuss major global issues like gun violence, politics, or any important current event. This club really appealed to me, and I loved being part of conversations like this. I went to quite a few of the meetings, and it was very grounding to learn about things happening outside of my little world and to see what others had to say.

While I only listed a handful of clubs, there are over 50 clubs at Catalina to choose from! Whether you enjoy robotics, business, coding, art history, photography, bible study, pickleball, calligraphy, journalism, Dungeons & Dragons, debate, or grannies (yes, there’s a Granny Club), there really is something for everyone. The biggest thing to take away from this post is to join everything you possibly can. It is important to not completely clog your schedule and join all 50 clubs, leaving absolutely no time to breathe, but if you’ve been thinking about learning how to draw, join the art club, or if you want to know more about Korean culture, join the Korean culture club! What they say is true: The possibilities are endless. And who knows? You may find yourself doing something you never expected to be capable of!

(Photo: Accents club head Sophie '25 talks to students at Club Fair.)
 

About the Author

Sofia ’25 is a day student from Seaside. She enjoys going to the beach, playing volleyball, singing, dancing, listening to music, reading, and crocheting. Her favorite aspects of Catalina are theatre, the traditions, and getting to be friends with boarding students from all over the world.