By: Elizabeth Pfannes @lilliz121

At any high school, an important part of social life is the extracurricular activities available not only during school hours, but also after school. I’m not just talking about sports, those are the given, the first thing everyone thinks of when thinking about extracurricular activities. There is so much more out there than just sports, and it is important to take a chance and be a part of new activities. There can also be huge benefits, from learning about time management, building great relationships with new people, to college experience and much more.
Participating in after school activities can help students build self esteem. It encourages teamwork, and leadership. Another benefit is that being a part of something non academic can actually inadvertently help with your education. This happens because students who enjoy activities such as speech team, TSA, gamers club, and many others, can learn skills that help them during their school day and later in life.
Extracurriculars also help students manage their time and learn about responsibility for later life. Senior Zeek Pearson, who takes part in winter cheer, speech team, and soccer says, “Being involved teaches structure and responsibility.” Being involved is also a way to meet people and take part in new things. There are many options out there for activities, whether it be theater, speech, sports, academic clubs, or music related, there are so many different ways to be involved. Senior Mae Whitney says, “It’s a fun way to meet new people,” and senior Sami Severson agrees, saying, “I’ve made a lot of strong relationships with my peers, friends, and made a lot of good memories.”
There are also a lot of reasons students do not join school clubs, due to family obligations, work, fear of judgement, among many other circumstances. To address fear of judgement, being involved can actually help boost self esteem and be a way to get over fears or reservations. Being involved can give you a chance to make close friends. Senior Kenneth Bowen says, “I have learned to work as a team and build relationships with the people around me as well as grow as a person and athlete.” Take a chance and get involved. It looks fantastic on college applications,helps you build relationships, and have new experiences.
Participating in after school activities can help students build self esteem. It encourages teamwork, and leadership. Another benefit is that being a part of something non academic can actually inadvertently help with your education. This happens because students who enjoy activities such as speech team, TSA, gamers club, and many others, can learn skills that help them during their school day and later in life.
Extracurriculars also help students manage their time and learn about responsibility for later life. Senior Zeek Pearson, who takes part in winter cheer, speech team, and soccer says, “Being involved teaches structure and responsibility.” Being involved is also a way to meet people and take part in new things. There are many options out there for activities, whether it be theater, speech, sports, academic clubs, or music related, there are so many different ways to be involved. Senior Mae Whitney says, “It’s a fun way to meet new people,” and senior Sami Severson agrees, saying, “I’ve made a lot of strong relationships with my peers, friends, and made a lot of good memories.”
There are also a lot of reasons students do not join school clubs, due to family obligations, work, fear of judgement, among many other circumstances. To address fear of judgement, being involved can actually help boost self esteem and be a way to get over fears or reservations. Being involved can give you a chance to make close friends. Senior Kenneth Bowen says, “I have learned to work as a team and build relationships with the people around me as well as grow as a person and athlete.” Take a chance and get involved. It looks fantastic on college applications,helps you build relationships, and have new experiences.