Reasons You Should Join an After School Club Next Year

Cassi Misciagna, Features Editor

Extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports teams are an important part of the school experience. Throughout our school, there is an abundance of clubs running all year round that are sure to fit any individual’s interest. Here are some reasons to join a club if you are considering joining one next year.

 

Through clubs such as Foreign Language Club, students are able to not only be social with friends after school, but also gain a better understanding of other cultures by learning more about their language, traditions, history, and food. Through the incorporation of this club students gain a better acceptance and appreciation of people from all over the world. In addition, the students hold a yearly event called Celebration of Cultures Night where they are given the opportunity teach their fellow student about a country that interests them.

 

Clubs such as Anime Club help to provide students with lifetime experiences that they can enjoy with friends. For those who are curious about the world of anime, this club allows them to find new shows to watch and material to read. In addition, the club’s yearly trip to Otakon, a major anime convention, gives their members experience that they may not be able to obtain otherwise.

 

Clubs like the Gay Straight Alliance help promote acceptance in our school. The club helps students learn more about themselves and their friends while also supporting the LGBT community. This club allows the members of the student body to express who they are in a safe environment, without ridicule from others who may not share their beliefs or be as supportive. Clubs like these help students build self-confidence and relieve tensions that they may face during the school day, knowing that there will always be people who care.

 

The Engineering and Design club is one of many clubs in the school that allows students to compete against others who enjoy creating solutions to problems in a constructive and creative way. In addition these clubs also allow members of the student body to prepare for future careers and improve on their teamwork and leadership skills.

 

The Hope Club and Best Buddies help to give back to their community and those who live within it. Through these clubs, individuals gain an opportunity gain a better understanding of their community and make connections with people from all walks of life. Members of each club help both within and out of school by planning events that help benefit others and raise awareness of larger issues that face their community.

 

Drama Club helps students organize their schedule and promote school spirit. Through this particular extracurricular, it is easy meet new people who share a love of the arts. In addition, this club helps students learn important lifelong skills, working as a unit with others to put on performances for the school and community.

 

Individuals who participate in extracurricular activities in high school and college have also been linked to having a higher success rate following their education career, higher grades throughout the school year, and a lower likelihood of drug use. According to the Journal of Adolescent Research’s 2003 study, students who have participated in some sort of extracurricular are less likely to drop out of school. In addition, certain clubs can be added to the participant’s resume when applying for jobs, giving them an advantage against other first time applicants.
Overall, joining a club can give people all kinds of advantages, while also allowing them to express their interests and meet new people!