Disney Club has been a staple on Ramapo’s campus since its inception back in 2012 when Kimberly Halloran took the reins as its first president. Ever since, the club has been bringing the magic of Disney to campus.
According to the club’s Archway page, its mission is “to encourage Disney enthusiasts and all-around kids at heart to have fun.” President Noelle Johnstone always keeps that mission in the back of her mind as she brainstorms and coordinates events for the club with the help of other e-board members.
Johnstone said in an interview with The Ramapo News that her goals as president are “to create events that the club members really enjoy” and “getting more people involved on campus.” She cited the COVID-19 pandemic as something that dampened campus life, so getting people out of their dorms and open to making new friends is important to her.
The pandemic certainly shaped Johnstone’s own experience with the club. She joined during her freshman year when things at Ramapo were mostly virtual, and she assumed the role of president during the second semester of her sophomore year when campus life was still in a state of flux.
While former presidents Janine Rosales and Suzy Halpern can be credited with keeping the club alive during trying times, Johnstone and the current e-board had the job of building the club back up. They have kept their promise of having fun and building a community by maintaining club tradition through annual events, such as the Halloween Bash or Karaoke Night, while adding in some ideas of their own.
The club meets every Wednesday for their general meetings, where they play trivia, watch movies or have debates about Disney-related topics. Johnstone said that these meetings garner roughly 20-25 people in attendance, which is impressive for a time when campus clubs are still struggling to bounce back.
Johnstone is most proud of last year’s Avengers Save New York event, which was her first major one as president. The event, hosted at Laurel Courts, drew in about 80 people for a night full of prizes and Avengers-themed activities, such as “Hawkeye” archery, a shield toss and a life-sized blow-up version of Hungry, Hungry Hippos.
Community service is also a major value of the Disney Club. They often host charity events, such as this year’s Coloring for a Cause at the Birch Tree Inn. The club sold coloring pages for $1 that attendees could color as they ate grilled cheese, dino nuggets and smiley fries. All the proceeds were donated to Give Kids the World.
In honor of the 10th anniversary, the Disney Club is hosting a party themed around “Alice in Wonderland” on April 13 at 7 p.m., drawing on the idea of an unbirthday celebration. Johnstone shared that there will be a bunch of activities, including a Mad Hatter dance contest and a Mickey Mouse ears craft, along with prizes.
“Ever since the Avengers event, we kind of wanted to do the same thing for all our big events, just having a bunch of activities and getting people excited to hang out,” she said.
Above all though, Johnstone acknowledges the dedication of the club members as the main factor that has kept the club alive for 10 years.
“They really kept the interest going. [They were] able to hand down the club to other people and trust that they can take over and continue making it as successful as it was when they were there,” she said.
rgatherc@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Noelle Johnstone
