On Sept. 12, students gathered in the academic quad for the annual clubs fair, which featured a variety of clubs that ranged from academic to athletic to community-engagement-focused. 

This clubs fair had a higher attendance than last year, due to there being more than 20 students added to this year’s ninth-grade class. There was also a substantial increase in the number of clubs themselves, with about 75 clubs this year compared to last year’s 55. This increase led to crowding around some of the tables.

“I think we have outgrown the space,” said Dean of Student Life Whitney Livermore. “Next year we might end up having two clubs fairs, doing half of [the clubs] on one day and half on another day, just so that people have more space and time.” 

Despite the challenge with spacing, many found the fair this year to be a success. Band Club co-leader Sadie Saavedra ‘26 spoke about the fair’s fun and upbeat atmosphere, recounting the music and snacks that many clubs used to incentivize people to sign up. “It was so fun,” she said. 

While other leaders shared her positive sentiments, there were concerns about future club attendance. 

“I think it went pretty well,” said London Mullarkey ’27, a co-leader of The Moth. “We got a lot of sign-ups, but I don’t know how many of those sign-ups were just people wanting Capri-Suns.” 

For The Moth Club specifically — a club focused on helping students practice public speaking through storytelling — Mullarkey worried people would be scared away from what they perceived as requirements. She faces the challenge of people not showing up because they think they’ll be forced to publicly speak, despite the activities being optional.

“The entire point of the club is to make public speaking more comfortable,” Mullarkey said. The club seeks to do this using the curriculum of the non-profit organization The Moth. 

In addition to teaching students skills they may not necessarily be exposed to in the classroom, some clubs seek to expand on existing classes at Branson. Such is the case with Band Club, which Saavedra and Olivia Ritter ‘26 formed in response to overflow in the Rock Band class. 

“There aren’t enough spots for people who are interested in playing music in big groups like that, so there’s definitely a lot of interest [in the club],” Ritter said. She is also a Blazer editor.

The club is open to anyone who wants to play, regardless of experience. Members will be people of “all different levels,” Saavedra said.

This increases accessibility for ninth-graders especially, since they aren’t able to take the Rock Band class. 

“If you love playing music and you just want to have fun during the club’s period, Rock Band Club is the place to be,” Ritter said.