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Once school lets out, students and teachers quickly disperse to engage in a variety of activities. Amidst the chaos, a congregation of Spongebob fans unite.
Spongebob Club meets one to two times a month, and Neil Shanbhag, ‘26, vice president of the Club, finds a sense of community in the meetings.
“Being around all the other Spongebob fans gives us a homely sense,” Shanbhag said. “It shows that there are many people at Walnut who really want to fondly remember their childhood.”
While Spongebob Club is new at WHHS, the club has its origins on the collegiate level. President Rishi Pampati, ‘27, and Shanbhag found inspiration from a similar club at The Ohio State University.
“We were talking to some of the alumni, and they were telling us about a Spongebob Club at OSU,” Shanbhag said. “They were talking about how it’s one of the greatest things to happen to the college, so me and Rishi thought, ‘Hey, we love SpongeBob and we know other people in the school who love Spongebob. Why don’t we start a club about it?’”
Spongebob Club embraces an informal atmosphere. Club attendees can expect to engage in Spongebob-related games and activities.
“It’s supposed to be a more fun club,” Pampati said. “We are not trying to make it academic. It’s supposed to be a stress [free] environment. ”
Like most Spongebob Squarepants fans, Pampati started watching the series as a child. Viewing the series now gives him a sense of nostalgia.
“When I was a little kid watching Nickelodeon on the TV, Spongebob would pop up,” Pampati said. “I used to really enjoy it.”
Spongebob Squarepants is considered a children’s show but Shanbhag claims there are life lessons to be learned at all ages.
“It shows that in a lot of the simple things we have in life, there are other levels of complexity, just [like] how they’ve animated a simple sponge and made it the character of a series,” Pampati said.
Spongebob Club wants to attract an open-minded group of members. Tolerance of all opinions on the show is critical to a friendly environment.
“Spongebob Club teaches you that you have got to respect everyone,” Shanbhag said. “You have got to respect everyone’s beliefs.
Whether creator Stephen Hillenburg intended, Spongebob Squarepants has impacted many lives.
“If Spongebob were in the room right now I would just tell him how much he changed my life, and how much he has done for me,” Shanbag said. “I hope to continue making him proud.”
“Do you want to feel like a little kid again? Do you want to have some fun on a Friday afternoon with your friends?” Pampati said. “Come to Spongebob Squarepants Club.”
