Shadow Ridge High School is home to a multitude of different clubs and organizations. One of these Clubs is Poly Club, but what is Poly Club? Poly Club co-adviser and coach, Giovanni Chanes-Rodriguez “Coach Gio” stated, “Poly Club is short for Polynesian Club and The Polynesian Club often refers to cultural organizations or social Clubs that celebrate Polynesian heritage, culture, and traditions.” 

Coach Gio further highlighted the club’s commitment to structure and organization, stating, “We like to meet once or twice a month, Usually the 2nd week of the month because we use the 1st week to organize ideas within our student body council. We post every meeting on The Remind App weeks prior to the meeting.” 

The punctuality in which the meeting dates are posted allow students to better plan their days, making space for the meetings.

Poly Club serves as an opportunity for students to possibly connect with their heritage, or learn about foreign culture. 

Coach Gio stated, “We typically focus on activities such as traditional dance, music, art, and community events, fostering a sense of belonging among members and promoting awareness of Polynesian culture. They may also engage in educational initiatives, cultural exchanges, and community service. We like to gather and share foods as well, we call them “Potlucks” where students bring different food dishes and share them with each other.” 

All of these activities work together to create a sense of unity among Poly Club members. For new members, Poly Club makes it a key point to make them feel welcome. 

Coach Gio said, “We like to start the meeting with welcoming new members so they don’t feel left out and feel welcomed.” 

After welcoming new members, ideas of potential events are shared to Poly Club members, these ideas were made up by Poly Club officers the week prior.

Poly Club had a busy week a few weeks ago as October 21st marked the first day of Cultural week, a joint effort between LSU, BSU, and Poly Club. Coach Gio said, “Our last event was Cultural week. It started on the 21st of October, we teamed up with LSU and BSU to decorate the school and participate in Cultural Spirit Week. That Thursday, we had a little festival before the football game.”

Everything Poly Club does has an underlying tone of community, family, and friendship. This idea that no matter a student’s background, they can find a family within the Poly Club is one of the Club’s main draws. 

“You should join the Poly Club because regardless of what you are or who you are, you will be part of a tight-knit family,” states Coach Gio. “If you are looking for a home, we will welcome you with open arms. We will show you how we do things in our culture and share the cool experiences we will go through together.”