If passion had a sound, HFI Club Open Day would have been impossible to ignore.

From 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on September 6, more than 110 HFI student clubs gathered at the covered ground-floor plaza of the Knowledge City Campus Gymnasium.

The clubs covered a wide range of interests. There were academic clubs, sports clubs, arts and culture groups, media clubs, special-interest communities, and social service organizations.

Every few steps, there was something new to see. From one end of the plaza to the other, the space was filled with conversations, demonstrations, sign-up sheets, posters, and students moving between booths.

Club leaders introduced their clubs, answered questions, and invited others to take part. At the same time, students explored unfamiliar interests, stopped to watch activities, and talked with friends about which clubs they might join.

The fair was active and open, with something happening in almost every corner. It was not simply a place to sign up for clubs, but a space for students to discover what HFI student life had to offer.

Here are some of the moments that stood out.

More than 110 student clubs gathered across the plaza.

HIGHLIGHTS

UPUP Club

15 Knee Push-Ups in a Row

At first glance, the challenge at UPUP Club seemed simple: complete 15 knee push-ups in a row.

Once it began, however, it quickly became a real test of endurance.

Classmates gathered around and cheered for the participants. With that encouragement, students pushed through the challenge and tried to complete every repetition.

What started as a small physical challenge soon became a moment of shared support.

Fashion Club

Creating a Bouquet of Your Own

Fashion Club brought a very different atmosphere to the fair.

Fresh flowers in different colors filled the booth and quickly caught students' attention.

Instead of simply looking at finished designs, students could choose their own flowers and arrange their own bouquets.

No two bouquets looked exactly the same. Each one reflected the student's personal taste and creativity.

The activity gave students a simple way to turn their own ideas into something they could take home.

Lillian's Biological Kingdom

Bringing an “Animal Kingdom” onto Campus

Few booths were more unexpected than Lillian's Biological Kingdom.

For Club Open Day, the club brought several animals onto campus. These included blue-tongued skinks, spiders, horned frogs, geckos, and corn snakes.

Students were able to observe and touch the animals at close range instead of seeing them only in textbooks or on screens.

The booth soon attracted curious visitors. Some approached the animals with excitement, while others watched more carefully from a distance.

For one afternoon, a small “animal kingdom” had appeared in the middle of campus.

Mad Scientists Club

Lighting Up a “Starry Sky”

The Mad Scientists Club created one of the most memorable experiments of the afternoon.

To make the luminol reaction easier to see, club members set up a dark tent at the booth.

Inside, students watched blue chemiluminescent light appear against the darkness.

For a brief moment, the glow looked like a tiny starry sky.

The experiment made a classroom concept feel real. Instead of only learning about a chemical reaction, students could watch it happen in front of them.

ON THE STAGE

The energy of Club Open Day was not limited to the booths.

Throughout the afternoon, stage performances were woven into the event. Students brought music, dance, instruments, and drama onto the stage, adding another layer to the atmosphere of the fair.

There were singing performances, dance routines, instrumental pieces, and dramatic performances. Each one gave students a different way to express what they had been practicing and creating.

The stage also became a natural gathering point. Students paused between booths to watch performances, cheer for their classmates, and enjoy another side of HFI student life.

For the performers, it was a chance to bring practice into a real setting. For the audience, it was another reminder that passion can take many forms.

BEYOND THE BOOTHS

Club Open Day was not only about individual activities or performances.

Much of the experience came from walking between booths, talking with club leaders, and discovering interests that students had never explored before.

For some students, the fair also showed just how many different communities existed within HFI.

We spoke with students after the event and asked what they remembered most.

Student A

Q: After exploring Club Open Day, what stood out to you the most?

I visited almost every booth. I looked through the posters and listened to introductions from different club leaders.

I found far more interesting clubs than I expected. I signed up for clubs ranging from Aerospace and Sailing to Ecology, Long-Distance Running, Mad Scientists, Golf, and several others.

My favorite activity was flying the drone at Aerotech. Seeing our school from another perspective while controlling the drone was something I had never experienced before.

I was also really surprised when I found out that the HFI Sailing Association had brought a real boat to the event.

Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

Student B

I tried the henna body painting at BALMBOWL, and I was also really impressed by the violin solo.

There is so much artistic talent at HFI.

NeuroLink and NoWorries also caught my attention because they combine interesting topics with real academic depth.

If I had to use one word to describe the whole experience, I would probably say “legendary.”

My only wish is that more freshmen could come and experience it. An event like this deserves an even bigger crowd.

FINDING WHAT YOU LOVE

Club Open Day gave students more than a chance to choose a club.

It gave them the freedom to explore.

Some students arrived already knowing what they were interested in. Others came simply to look around and try something new. Along the way, they could encounter ideas, activities, and communities they had never considered before.

That process matters.

Finding a passion does not always begin with certainty. Sometimes it starts with curiosity, a conversation, a first attempt, or the decision to step into something unfamiliar.

And once that interest is found, a club can become a place to take it further.

Students can learn more, practice more, create more, and work with others who care about the same things.

In that sense, Club Open Day is not only about discovering what you love.

It is also about having the chance to pursue it, practice it, and turn it into something real.

Explore. Discover. Practice.

Find what you love - then give it a place to grow.

Text: Amy Wu, Brooke Xi, Yelena Wu

Layout: Yelena Wu

Photos: Official school photographer