Most high school clubs fade after a few years — but not these. The Boba Bots, Interact, Mills Red Cross Club, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, and Mills Dragon Team are just some of the longest running clubs that date up to the 1990’s. Each year, while new start-up clubs come and go, these clubs stayed, becoming a pillar to Mills’ culture. In order to keep a club alive, it requires commitment, dedicated members, strong leadership, and consistent interest in the club. This school year, Mills has a variety of 80 diverse clubs, but only a handful of clubs have been around for over 30 years. So how have these clubs continued to thrive and what do they do now?
Running for the past 27 years, the Boba Bots is Mills’ robotics club with over 60 members. Although one of the most financially expensive clubs, with one robot possibly costing up to $10,000, the Boba Bots is also one of the most successful and popular clubs at Mills. With engineering being a popular college major and career path, the Boba Bots offer great experience in this area. The club at Mills was started in 1998, one of the earliest FIRST robotics teams in all of California, and the club was passed down from generation to generation with traditions following suit. Some traditions passed down in the Boba Bots include a post mortem after competitions to talk as a team on what went well during the competition and what could use improvement. Though robotics is a club requiring hard work and focus, the team shares enjoyable activities like potlucks and giving other members funny superlatives. Operations Captain of the Boba Bots, Amelia Naughten (12), shares, “We would come up with random funny titles, for example, who was the worst roommate, who’s the loudest, and we nominate people for that and it builds team positivity and fun.”
The Mills Dragon Team was founded in 1996, a core cultural club at Mills, connecting to Chinese Dragon dances. The mission of the club is to have fun doing dragon runs, spread Chinese culture, and strengthen teamwork. Through practices each Saturday, the Dragon Team prepares for school events such as rallies, and community performances, like the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lunar New Year Festival, and San Francisco parade. The dragon team allows for students — many of Chinese descent — to feel connected to the traditional culture of dragon dancing and allow them to perform in front of others. The Dragon Team is dependent on coordinating and communicating with other members during performances and practices. Co-captain Melody Lin (11) says, “A big value of our team is unity.” By unionizing together, the Dragon Team becomes one and performs like a true dragon.”
Founded in 1987, Interact Club is the longest running club at Mills High School. Through dedication and love for volunteering, Interact has stayed active by helping others. In Interact, club members receive great opportunities to volunteer, making it a fun activity as a community. President of Interact, Katie Chun (12) says, “I believe Interact is not just a club activity but also a fun environment to be in.” By dedicating themselves to their club, Interact’s goal is to create opportunities to serve their community. Chun shares, “We foster an amazing group of students who always work to help our community, hence our motto ‘Service Above Self’.”
Throughout all the long-lasting clubs that remain thriving, common characteristics such as dedication, activities with a greater purpose, and passionate leadership can be seen. These clubs offer what other short-lived clubs don’t – stability, legacy, and traditions. Clubs with a long history represent more than just long years, they represent many generations of students being able to dive into their passions, connect with club members, and find their own community. As new generations step in to take the place of the past generation, clubs continue to carry on the traditions and legacy that have shaped student groups for years.
