By Maya Gambhir, Staff Writer
For decades, high school clubs have been a way for students to explore interests, express their passions, meet new people, and enjoy themselves after school hours. Staples depicted in movies, old yearbooks, and even our own halls have long included interests like film, crafting, debate, science, and community service. However, in recent years, some students and teachers have noticed a shift in club culture and involvement here at River Hill.
“I feel like it’s been harder to gain club interest and involvement recently, especially as a senior who is leaving and looking to leave the clubs I’m a leader in good hands,” says Siana Kabaria, captain of the Mock Trial team and president of the MESA Engineering club. “And even when we do get interest, it can be hard to get people to really commit to the time and effort some clubs take because of other schoolwork pressuring them, time constraints, and what just feels like a general shift in the amount people want to put into things.”
Señora Goodrich, who volunteers her time to sponsor the Spanish Honor Society along with several other RHHS Clubs, shared her perspective, having seen our school evolve over the years.
“We really haven’t had a lot of Spanish Honor Society meetings this year, which we usually do. We used to have a World Language Club where all languages would meet together, but we haven’t had that in a few years,” she explains.
One possible explanation for the transition is the growing emphasis on the college admissions process, which has become increasingly intense in recent years and places a lot of stress on students from pretty much the moment they enter high school.
Sophomore Shiv Paul shared his view: “I think that a lot of people at River Hill do clubs for their resume rather than to learn important skills, and it leads to people joining clubs that they really don’t want to be involved in. It makes it so that clubs that want people to be involved have to be really clear and hold people accountable.”
This view was shared by Senior leadership of clubs, including Freya Patel, President of the Red Cross and STEM and Buds clubs.
“I have noticed that people tend to focus on getting involved in things they think they can get a leadership position in, and oftentimes look for an easy one because they want to put that on their resume,” says Patel.
Many students have felt this shift, turning clubs into a more toxic environment than the fun, stress-relieving opportunities for connection clubs have historically been.
“A lot of students feel more inclined to join the clubs that they think will look best for colleges, or what parents might be pushing, rather than the things they actually want to do, which is sad to see,” she explains.
Another potential deterrent for clubs is students thinking they missed their chance as freshmen, and it may be too late to really get involved.
“When I talk to people about Mock Trial, it’s surprisingly often that they say they wish they had joined or they thought about joining and didn’t, and now regret it, which is unfortunate because it really never is too late if you’re passionate about something,” says Kabaria.
Whether or not club culture is shifting at River Hill, a few things are certain: clubs should be about fun, learning, and connecting; it only takes one or two people who really care to keep a club going; and it’s never too late to get involved.