As a part of North Hollywood High School tradition, the semiannual Club Rush wrapped up on November 20th, but this year things looked different: the event formerly known as Club Rush rebranded under a new name — Club Market — and now operates under new rules.
Clubs and smaller learning communities such as the Student Council, Women in Business, SAS, and STEM all participated in the event to help fundraise money, selling items such as chips, makeup, bracelets, and other goods.
The event was a sprawling success for all clubs and students who participated in them. Additionally, an unexpected but esteemed guest made an appearance: Mr. Alberto M. Carvalho, the superintendent of LAUSD, happened to be visiting NHHS the day of the Club Market.
Louie Samaan, a STEM junior and an ASB organizer, recalled his experience during the Fall Market: “It was generally positive. We were able to set up, clean up, especially with the superintendent. Everything went smoothly.”
However, while the event seems to be successful on paper, it has also drawn some comparison to previous Club Rushes, which some have seen as better. According to Vahn Petrossian, a junior in the HGM Magnet, the lack of fast food was appalling: “When I was a sophomore helping with my club, we were selling Dippin’ Dots, and now it’s all chips?”
Petrossian’s criticisms do not go without reason. Due to new regulations from LAUSD, participating clubs can only sell branded items that are on a specific, approved list. For context, in recent years, the school district has gotten increasingly strict on what students can and cannot sell, such as very sugary foods, red 40, sodas, etc.
Edwin Torres, a SAS junior, also brought the food choices into consideration: “In 9th grade, there were much, much more options, like In-N-Out and tacos.”
While the change in the food that is available has been jarring to some students, this semester’s Club Market attracted more students than in previous years. When asking Samaan about the turnout of the event, he responded positively: “I saw more turnout this year, and it went a lot better in my opinion because of the new campus and greenery at the Kennedy Quad.” Just a year ago, the club rushes were hosted on the field.
