Participation in local clubs is essential for students in developing their social skills, enhancing their academic ability, widening their array of talents, and discovering their future career. The atmosphere and environment provided by frequent interaction between like-minded peers is an experience difficult to be replicated in any other medium. So, in a school such as CHS, which holds an extensive assortment of captivating and engaging clubs, one would expect a large amount of student participation. However, teachers and students have seen the opposite trend; club involvement has declined in recent years, with many opting to join few or no clubs.
So, that raises the question: why aren’t CHS students participating in clubs?
One would receive varying answers to that question. Some quote their especially loaded schedules as a key determinant of their reluctance to engage in club activities. Certain CHS students, especially juniors, believe that the assigned work from their daily classes is overwhelming enough. Adding an extra activity to their array of responsibilities, such people believe, would be detrimental to their mental health and ultimately damaging to their capability to manage coursework. “I have my classes and homework to worry about,” one student said. “I can’t afford to join a club.” Many people with this belief take courses with advanced tracks that progress rapidly – such as Honors and APs – influencing their lack of extracurriculars. Such students view clubs as obligations instead of opportunities, leading them to abstain from engagement beyond class activities.
Other students simply feel uninformed, uninspired, or lost. “I would join clubs,” one stated, “but there’s none I’d want to do. At least that I know of.” Even with such a broad range of clubs present at CHS, some just fail to find any specific ones that pique their interest. One such person theorized that their unconcern for extracurricular engagement may be as a result of lack of awareness of their possible options. CHS’ club variety works as a detriment in that way, as such a vast assortment of possible choices leaves some going unnoticed and unable to reach an appropriate audience.
Some students, despite already engaging in other extracurricular activities, still purposely forgo varied club involvement. “I’d rather put in all my time and effort in one club then spread it out between many clubs,” one said. Even though such students do participate beyond coursework, albeit moderately, they still prefer focusing on a single club and maximizing their involvement and labor there. Such students often already have a clear vision of their future career, and see it as more beneficial for them to specialize in their particular subject rather than divide their attention between multiple fields.
This current decline is unfortunate to see in such a club-heavy and academically-focused school such as CHS. Hopefully, in time, any current bystanders in extracurricular activities will realize their talents and efforts will be greatly appreciated in a club of their choice.
