Walk into the gym last Wednesday and you'd have found a grandfather clock standing sentinel in one corner, a warm little book lamp glowing at another, and a table of dice clattering under the fluorescent lights. Fabrics and accessories were draped over tables, tiny warhammer figurines lined up at the next, and candy and baked goods were everywhere, strategically placed to attract new members.

This was Mid-Pen's Clubs Fair, and this year it was bigger than it's ever been: 26 clubs set up shop, each with a booth and a hand-made poster announcing who they were and what they were about.

The lineup was a mix of old and new. Longtime favorites like Theatre Club, Fashion Club, Vintage Club, and DND Club were back, alongside a wave of new additions, including Paws and Purpose, Speech and Debate, and Activism Club. Many of these brand-new clubs are being led by students who are brand new to Mid-Pen themselves. They didn't wait to find their footing before building something; they walked in and started leading right away.

Threaded through the fair were Mid-Pen's affinity groups: LatinX, Black Student Union, AANHPI, Pride Alliance, Jewish Student Union, and Neurodiversity. Each offers something distinct from the interest-based clubs around them: a space built around identity, where students find solidarity, support, and pride in who they are.

At Mid-Pen, your interests don't have to stay personal, they can become communities. Clubs meet weekly during lunch with support from a staffulty advisor, and many go on to present at Community Meetings, plan events, and shape campus culture well beyond their booth on fair day. The 26 clubs on the gym floor last Wednesday are proof of what happens when students are trusted to lead. Friendships form, ideas spark, and leadership skills grow, one poster-board booth at a time.