Covid-19 has brought on many restrictions that are affecting all of our daily lives. At school, we’re told to wear masks, constantly wash our hands, clean our desks, and stay 1-2 meters apart. We all know how these rules are affecting our everyday classes, but how are they affecting our clubs? Clubs were once struggling with the restrictions, but are now starting to overcome the difficulties.

Non-Service Clubs:

A lot of the non-service clubs are being affected by this. The culture clubs, photography clubs, and others aren’t sure of their futures. They usually have big performances and events to look forward to as the highlight of their semester, but now they have to change their plans and adapt to the restrictions. I interviewed Femme, 12th grader, and officer of Shutter Society, to get her opinion.

How has the atmosphere in the club meeting been, with the socially distanced desks?

“I would say the atmosphere is pretty much the same just because we spend the majority of our meeting time shooting outdoors. However, it has become a little harder to do some shoots eg. studio/ closeup while social distancing because of space limitations.”

How has it affected communications?

“We usually communicate via email and our Instagram page and those things are still working well for us. In meetings, communication is a little more challenging because we can not get the members to gather around the camera all at once during demonstrations. We shift to teaching one-on-one, and we have found that to be quite effective for the members, especially if they are just starting photography.”

How has your club adapted to COVID-restrictions?

“We try moving our meetings outdoors so everyone is not squeezed into the same room. We also try to focus on the service part of our club, which is taking photographs of school events because that complies with the social distancing policies.”

Are there any opportunities that your club has to miss out on due to this?

“Definitely. A big part of Shutter Society is shooting events around school, and with the pandemic, we can not do as many now because a lot of them have been canceled.

On the bright side, because of COVID, lots of exciting activities eg. Cultural Convention is now held at school, so we look forward to capturing those events which we normally would not have the opportunity to.” 

Are you disappointed about these missed opportunities?

“Like everyone else, we are disappointed about the missed opportunities, but since there is not much we can do, I think we should focus on how to make the most of the things we have here. For example, if shooting people is challenging because of COVID restrictions, we can try architecture photography and take advantage of the amazing facilities ISB has.”

Do you think that these restrictions affecting your club are unreasonable?

“Not at all. Personally, I am just grateful that Thailand has been handling the pandemic well and we get to come back to school in the first place. The pros of having this sense of community back far outweigh the restrictions, in my opinion.” 

Even with the difficult restrictions, what are you guys looking forward to this year?

“We are looking forward to trying new photography styles we have not done before. In a way, having all these restrictions forces us to think outside the box for our photoshoots, and I am excited to see which directions our club takes this year.”

Service Clubs:

These restrictions have had the biggest impact on the service clubs since direct service is no longer an option. I interviewed Emilie, Senior, and president of the Amnesty International club about how the restrictions would be affecting them.

How has the atmosphere in the club meeting been, with the socially distanced desks?

“I don’t think it really affected the atmosphere, from what I see our club members are still active in participation.”

How has it affected communications?

“It really hasn’t. The biggest change is less small group discussions, but I think overall we are still able to carry on as usual.”

How has your club adapted to COVID-restrictions?

“We’re looking into non-contact club pans such as fundraising or advocacy. So yeah, indirect service can still make a difference. It’s just about finding the right way to help out.”

Are there any opportunities that your club has to miss out on due to this?

“Right now we’re finding some new activities to do since some of the activities and events that we usually plan such as Light Up Night and the refugee visit don’t seem like they are an option at the moment. Hopefully, we can still participate in these events once restrictions are lifted.” 

Are you disappointed about these missed opportunities?

“Well, of course, these two things I talked about are the two main things we do all year so it’s gonna be really different, but I think we can make it work and do something just as impactful.”

Do you think that these restrictions affecting your club are unreasonable?

“No, I understand what the school has to do to keep us here and I think it makes sense. There’s nothing too radical about these restrictions.”

Even with the difficult restrictions, what are you guys looking forward to this year?

“We’re looking forward to getting our club members involved in the club and advocating for things as we always do and just trying to make a difference.”

Certain clubs are going to be more affected than others. Clubs are adapting and changing their plans to follow the guidelines, while also making sure that they’re completing their goals. The officers acknowledge that even though this may be a setback, they are still looking forward to what’s to come. Shutter Society is still going to create and Amnesty is still going to make a difference.

“Though traveling school events are canceled, this is also a great opportunity to focus on our own community.” – Femme

“These times are, of course, challenging for us but it’s all about adapting our actions in order to make a difference. That’s what it’s all about and if we’re really passionate about it then these restrictions shouldn’t be able to stop us.” – Emilie