Some measure the school year in sports seasons, musical productions, semesters, newspaper issues or quarters.
No matter how you look at it, even with the weather getting warmer, it’s hard to believe that there’s only about two months until summer vacation.
But before suitcases are packed, campers get on busses and seniors get ready for college, there is still a lot to get done in the final 10 weeks of school.
This includes finals, AP exams, last minute schedule tweaks for next year and club leadership elections. And at Roslyn High School, spring is all about the clubs.
The United States Census Bureau suggests that over 57 percent of students between 6 and 17 years old will participate in at least 1 after-school, extracurricular activity daily.
According to the Public Agenda, 54 percent of high school students are on a sports team, and 36 percent attend an arts-related club.
A casual inquiry in the halls of the high school make it clear that the number of RHS students engaged in clubs and teams is likely much, much higher.
So who runs the 45 clubs at Roslyn High?
Coaches and advisors look to student leaders to take a central role. These positions include captains of a marching band section, president of the Royal Crown Players, officer of the Astronomy Club or section editor for the school newspaper, The Hilltop Beacon.
Sports teams have captains to keep the club informed about schedules or even keep track of attendance. And getting these leadership positions is not easy.
To qualify for a position, an application must be filled out and club advisors may require a candidate to answer specific questions, interview or write a speech.
Holding a club position shows leadership, talent, dedication and passion. It also can help round out a college application.
“At the end of the day, being a club V.P. will benefit my high school transcript,” said sophomore Anushka Kumar. “But more than a piece of paper saying ‘Vice President’ it will also benefit me as a person.”
Kumar is involved with fundraising clubs at the high school.
“I love helping others and being there for them,” he said. “I believe that an essential characteristic in every individual is to be selfless, and as V.P. I can portray an individual like that.”
Graduating senior Sara Cheris is the V.P. of the Astronomy club and a Secretary of the Shakespeare Society. She believes that a lot can be gained from holding a title for a club.
“Holding these positions allow me to spread my passion to other people, and to me, that’s the point of having a leadership position,” she said. “I applied for the various leadership positions I hold because I am passionate about the activities I am involved in, and I wanted to become as involved as possible. “
Junior Yena Kim holds a bunch of student leadership titles to her name.
She is a co-captain of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Team, co-editor of the editorial section of The Hilltop Beacon, president of the Model Government Club, and Assistant Captain of the Ethics Bowl Team, a branch of Model Government. Kim believes that being a leader is about giving back to the community and giving of yourself.
“I ran because I had a vision to reform things so that future/upcoming members can have the same, or perhaps better, experience than what I had when I was new and still learning,” she said. “Everybody deserves to learn, and someone’s got to be there to teach stuff and to lead.”
Kim also believes that student leaders learn from each other.
“Through my time in these clubs (before holding any positions), I learned many valuable things from the upperclassmen,” she said. However, at the same time, I learned some weaknesses of the previous leaders as well. So, I ran.”
Ultimately, students say, when you help to run a club you make the experience more than just a time to share with students of similar interests.
“I really do believe in the clubs and I want to send a positive message,” junior Kumar said. “Many people join clubs because they like the idea and do whatever they’re interested in. I joined because I’ve had a personal connection with these clubs that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”
