Now that West Point has accepted the Class of 2026 into the Corps of Cadets, plebes (freshman) kick off their academic season by exploring what the 137 clubs at the U.S. Military Academy have to offer during the annual Club Night event Aug 16 at Eisenhower Hall.
For club leaders, organizing the event involved liaising through the Directorate of Cadet Activities to receive schedules and adequately prepare for the event.
The cadets prepared tables all over Crest Hall and neatly arranged their presentations to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
“I attended Club Night last night and I had a great time,ˮ Class of 2026 Cadet Daniel Morgan said. “I am interested in joining the SCUBA, Officer Christian Fellowship and Astronomy clubs here at West Point. I also put my name down for Orienteering and Combat Weapons clubs, though I am less interested in those ones.ˮ
The clubs range from military and academic to hobby and diversity clubs, with each club falling under seven categories, with sponsoring agencies contributing to each category.
“(The beauty of Club Night) lies in the meeting of curious minds who could become the newest members or teammates of each club, and the passion that every club brings for their specialty,ˮ Class of 2023 Cadet Annalise Callaghan said. “The energy born out of the confluence of these factors is never short of inspiring, and builds the momentum needed to achieve excellence in the academic year.ˮ
Class of 2026 Cadet Amaya Alana arrived at the event with an open mind and a keen interest in seeing what the clubs had to offer. As she made her way through the maze of people and static displays, she was captivated by each club presentation. The club outfits from the Ski, Climbing and various other clubs helped her get a sense of what the customs and lifestyles are like in each club.
On one end of the room, one can hear the chanter sound of the bagpipe played by the Pipes and Drums club. On the other end, one can listen to the electrifying guitar sounds of the Rock Band club. Members of the Judo Club sported their Judogi or Judo uniforms as they displayed their martial arts abilities in a mock training session.
The synergy that filled the room, coupled with the unpredictable introductions from club members ready to immerse everyone, reeled Alana in.
“It was like organized chaos,ˮ Alana said. “Everyone wanted to talk to me and explain their clubs. I actually became very interested in some clubs for the sole reason of someone coming up to speak to me for no reason.ˮ
As the event concluded, Alana eventually found some clubs that piqued her interest.
“I loved being able to walk freely from table to table and having the opportunity to personally speak to people who are a part of the club and getting that insider viewpoint on what its like to be a part of it,ˮ Alana concluded. “The freedom they had to do whatever they wanted really helped the clubs shine. I am very interested in the Corbin Womanʼs Leadership Forum, the Cadet Media Group, and one of the weapons teams (ex: Pistol club).ˮ
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