As 2:55 p.m. approached and the bell rang, excitement filled the halls of the school. Not just because the day was ending, but because Celebrate McLean was set to kick off just an hour later. However, as rain started piercing through the clouds, the annual event looked improbable.
Celebrate McLean is not just an opportunity for students to explore their interests and join clubs; it commemorates the sense of community and togetherness that is strongly embedded in McLean. This year, however, the rain caused the clubs to migrate inside, leaving the music and festivities behind.
“It was alright,” said junior Michael Ma, head of the Investment Club. “I think they did the right thing by moving it inside, but it was a bummer that we didn’t get to have the normal event.”
At first, the club booths were all able to squeeze into the upper gym, but as interested students began to arrive, the event relocated to the cafeteria.
“It was still pretty crowded when they moved into the cafeteria,” junior Jay Ben-Nassar said, “But, I definitely think it was a smart idea with the amount of people.”
Undeterred by the cafeteria seemingly at full capacity, students explored the wide variety of clubs offered by McLean, allowing many club booths to gain recognition.
“My club, the Investment Club, was able to succeed indoors as well,” Ma said. “The main thing is just to go up to everyone you can and talk to them about your club to get them interested.”
Many students were happy to move inside from the weather. However, this meant missing out on so many of the aspects that make Celebrate McLean such a successful communal event.
“There was definitely a difference,” said junior Daniel Kim, a member of numerous clubs at Celebrate McLean. “The atmosphere was not the same [as outside]: We did not have the DJ, and it just wasn’t the same as having it outdoors.”
In spite of the unfortunate weather conditions, McLean still managed to give an enjoyable and memorable experience to all students that attended.
“Despite the harsh weather conditions, the school did a great job at smoothly transferring into the cafeteria,” Kim said. “I think that helped us a lot as we were still able to give these clubs the opportunity to put themselves out there.”
