After Clark County School District’s switch to virtual platforms, many extracurricular activities and sports have been postponed or canceled. Those that remain have made drastic changes to conform to the new rules of safe social distancing due to COVID-19; one of these clubs is Clark’s Key Club.

Key Club has continued to operate since the pandemic started.

It is an international organization intended to provide service opportunities and promote leadership among the youth. Members and officers of this club not only attend and create service projects, but also special events like Regional Training Conference (RTC) and Fall Rally South (FRS) where many Key Clubbers can learn about what it means to be a member of the organization, the charities they support, and how it’s beneficial for college.

“So far, Key Club has been a really amazing experience. It’s allowed me to make so many memories and meet so many people while serving the community,” says Jackson Pan, class representative for the class of ‘22. “Key Club [is a] welcoming and safe place where everyone cares about each other.” 

Because people have to be safe and follow the CCSD guidelines, Key Club has switched to holding online meetings. “Ever since the pandemic occurred, it’s been very difficult, but that didn’t mean Key Club has to stop!,” says Bethany Antero, Clark Key Club president, “…we still have meetings that are now biweekly, and the only change that is the most prominent is not seeing everyone physically.” They provide remote events and service projects that members can do at the safety of their homes to maintain social distancing, including special events such as RTC and the Winter Banquet. 

Officers are doing their best to make meetings as fun and interactive as possible in the virtual world. They provide ideas on how to do service online and work on social media to keep club members connected. Upcoming meetings and events will be based on themes, such as Halloween, to make them as enjoyable as possible. There was even a Clark Key Club bingo and interclub social with Spring Valley Key Club where students made cranes for a charity, Cranes4Cancer, while watching Princess and the Frog.

There have been many changes to adjust to this new lifestyle, and with change comes challenges. As president of the club, Bethany Antero has faced many obstacles. “It was very stressful…Finding service projects, making sure members are doing them, and just planning everything out so it can feel like the same experience as it was in person. It was hard, but with my board, my advisor, and I, everything was worth it.”

“Changing from in-person to virtual definitely is a big change, and it really requires us to look for different ways to serve the community and hold events.”

Ever since life has been on lockdown, many wish for things to get better. Ms. Wong, Clark Key Club’s faculty advisor, says, “I miss seeing the club in person and being able to do service together…so hopefully, second semester will offer some opportunity to at least get a hybrid model and maybe some in-person meetings.” As this is her last year at Clark High School, she would love to see her students in person before the school year ends.

“Key Club is my second home, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”