Being the first club at Silverado to do so, Key Club began this school year with their first meeting on Aug. 19. With over 40 new participants, the contrast between in-person meetings and online was more noticeable than ever.

This time last year, all meetings and events were strictly online. 

“Online meetings definitely changed the group dynamic,” President Rei Vong, 11, said. “You’re kind of stuck with a screen you can easily ignore. Meetings were just us reading off of presentations, and it was hard to interact with one another.”

Key Club is a student-led volunteer organization. Last year, students were discouraged from meeting and organizing in person due to COVID-19, making it difficult for the club to keep up with participation.

This year, however, is a different story. Many freshmen and sophomores had their first high school club experience with the club.

“I was interested in Key Club because I wanted to do more for the community,” Seretha Foreman, 9, said. “It’s a new school for me. I wanted to start off new by socializing more.”

The first meeting began with introductions of the board and members, a quick explanation of Key Club, and an icebreaker.

“I felt the meeting was fun and that we have a great year ahead of us,” Yae’Shawn Butler, 10, said. “Seeing familiar faces and diverse officers made me happy since that isn’t really represented.”

While the members settled in, board members began to plan for the year ahead.

“I have a personal goal to really fundraise for our club and potentially collaborate with other programs at our school like Jobs for American Graduates (JAG),” Historian Angelina Walsh, 11, said.

Other big plans for the club this year include RTC, or Regional Training Conference, where Division 28 East holds workshops and volunteer opportunities while having cheer competitions throughout the day.

This year’s RTC, which is typically held at Green Valley High School, will be online on Oct. 30 due to COVID-19 safety precautions.

Key Club meets every Thursday in Room 200 and is still welcoming new members.