For most high school students, the first football game of the school year is a big event, where people often get dressed up, get face paint, and make plans with friends to enjoy the evening. On Sept. 12, CKHS hosted their annual tailgate to make the game even more special. The event happened right after school, therefore students walking out of their classes had the ability to stop by a few booths, play some games, and grab some candy.

The event invites clubs and activities from the school to set up a booth in front of the school and run an activity for students to participate in. Dozens of clubs came together for this year’s tailgate, passing out candy and stickers to anyone interested, and inviting students to play games together. Attendees, such as Norah Gutierrez, circled the booths, trying out any game that interests them.

“I played cornhole, I did a questionnaire, I did charades, I did face paint, (and) I did plinko,” Gutierrez said.

Some clubs set up physical games, such as Jenga or Ping Pong, allowing students to compete against their friends and classmates. Others offered entertainment such as face painting and trivia, inviting students to learn more about the club in a fun, low-stakes environment.

“(At the HOSA booth) I answered a question, (and) after spun the wheel, I got a grammar question, and I got it right,” Attendee Erin Sy said.

The activities invited students to step up to a booth, where they were directed by club leaders on how to participate. Afterwards, there were opportunities for participants to speak with attendees of the club and get information about how to join that club in the future.

“Figments is doing facepainting and knowledge bowl is doing trivia,” Attendee Violet Boeddeker said. “I had a lot of fun at the knowledge bowl booth.” 

One booth, Figments Art and Literary Magazine, offered face painting, allowing many attendees to prepare for the football game’s theme. Club leaders such as Ava Kanithanon offered the service to students, who could pick from a menu of options.

“I’ve been face painting her for figments,” Kanithanon said. “It’s very fun, very exciting. We have a very cute menu. I’ve done lots of red, white, and blue.”

The event has another aim, to introduce both new and returning students to a multitude of activities in the school. If a student finds a game at a booth interesting, strikes up a conversation with a club leader, or takes a piece of candy and a flyer, they may decide to attend the club in the future. The event aims to help attendees find new activities and help clubs find new members.

“I think it’s a good way to get introduced to all the clubs and to meet people who are in charge of clubs and interact with people you wouldn’t normally interact with,” Gutierrez said.

With dozens of activities, and even more attendees, the CKHS tailgate drew a large crowd of students to enjoy the event. 

“It’s a great start, especially for new students, and (especially) if they’re getting ready to go to their first high school football game,” Kanithanon said.