Monday: Wear a DECA T-shirt. Tuesday: Recruit a new HOSA member. Wednesday: Hunt for an FBLA golden ticket. As the school year progresses and clubs awaken from their summer hibernation, the exhilarating thrill of Rush Weeks begins. 

The biggest Denmark clubs organize a week full of engaging events, challenges, and themes to promote their clubs and be noticed by potential new members. Additionally, returning members go for points and prizes, all while sharing their love of the club and building hype for the upcoming school year. Rush Week is a tornado that sweeps through the school, a whirlwind of excitement and buzz that captures the attention of all students. 

Each day of a Rush Week is assigned a theme or challenge, so that members have five opportunities to participate. Most clubs have a day dedicated to club spirit wear, such as DECA’s Gear Day which kicked off their rush mid-September. Showing up to class decked out in club’s attire, students proudly show off their member status and are quickly able to identify classmates that share their interests. 

Other common activities are scavenger hunts and treasure hunts: events that take members on a journey around campus and in turn promote the organization as the chaos piques the interest of other students. For example, FBLA hid golden tickets in their advisor’s classrooms for members to search for. Mahita Senthil, President of Denmark DECA, comments that her scavenger hunt, “was the most exciting event for me to plan! It was hard because we had to make it marketing themed, but I think it went pretty well!” 

Some clubs offer irresistible incentives for students to jump into the chaos. Joshita Suram, President of HOSA, explains that they, “held a sweatshirt raffle, passed out candy, and pranked officers.” At a HOSA event, members who participated in all five Rush Week activities were given the opportunity to smash an officer’s face in a messy dessert. “All of our officers got pied in the face, it was really fun,” Joshita laughs. Other clubs use Rush as an opportunity for students to rack up necessary points; for example, BETA members receive a character point, earned through building character, by sharing what the club means to them in an Instagram story. 

Many challenges are only deemed complete if the member snaps a photo and plasters it on their social media while tagging the club and using the assigned hashtag, like BETA’s #denmarkbetarush. While scrolling mindlessly through Instagram, students notice countless posts of their classmates excitedly completing a challenge or reminiscing about favorite memories. 

Broadcasting a passion for a club helps students build connections. “All the activities are meant to say a little about yourself and healthcare,” Joshita elaborates, “so you can see who’s interested and who’s not.” It is a quick way to identify what an individual student cares about, whether it’s business by completing FBLA activities or marketing by going all out for DECA. 

Rush Weeks do more than promote, they create a bond between students and strengthen unique communities. Students are able to interact with peers outside of a monthly mandatory meeting by establishing the deeper connections which make clubs worthwhile in the first place. Members will have a stronger foundation as they walk into upcoming events and competitions because the seeds of spirit and friendship they planted during Rush Week had the chance to grow.