The common goal of service clubs is to make a better school community through service and volunteering. Octagon Club is the largest of the service clubs at Marshall with nearly 160 members and focuses on engaging in community service activities. Key Club has around 130 members and is an international service organization, therefore having external resources and connections with individuals outside of Virginia. As almost entirely student-run clubs, responsibility falls onto students to organize and execute service projects.
“Student run clubs make the members more responsible for communicating with each other and knowing when dates are,” freshman and member of Octagon Club Catja Christensen said. “Members also have to put in effort to keep the club running and successful instead of relying on an adult to do everything for you.”
Service clubs also aim to take input from students in order to organize service events people are excited about. Junior Emeline Walker has been a member of Key Club since freshman year and is now the club’s secretary. She feels that students having authority is beneficial because now the club can get involved in activities that they know other students will find engaging.
“Although it may be difficult at times, having a student-run club ensures that its members, the students, are represented by individuals who relate to them and understand what a student at Marshall experiences,” Walker said. “As a result, the activities we choose cater to student interests.”
There are multiple annual events that service clubs hold, however Bevy Daniel, a senior officer of Octagon Club, said that the club is very open to suggestions from students about new service projects.
“Most of the events we do are done annually so they are very similar. We always want club members to come to us with their own events. For example, we recently volunteered at a pet shelter and that was something we’d never done before. We’re totally open to anyone coming up with new ideas,” Daniel said.
While these clubs do require a large amount of out of school commitment, senior president of Key Club Alek Langford said that it is both a gratifying and beneficial experience.
“It is a huge time commitment at some times but it is almost certainly worth it. I have been a member of Key Club since I was freshman and I have grown to truly love making a tangible difference in people’s lives as I do in Key Club. This motivates me to commit the time and ensure that the Marshall High School Key Club gives back to the community as much as possible. Also, Key Club has created numerous unforgettable memories for me and I hope to provide the same for our members by devoting my time to the club,” Langford said.