As the school year begins to wind down, Applications for next year’s extracurriculars are going out. Many students are struggling with the stress of ending the school year on a high note and sending in applications to be a part of more next year. Is all of this worth the unmounted levels of stress?
To be in extracurriculars, students have to put in a lot of time and effort, with emphasis on time. “It [how long I spend on extracurriculars] depends it can take up 2 hours a week, or two hours a day for a week,” said Casterline.
“Well with track it [extracurriculars], take up to three hours every day, six days a week,” said Zoe Etheridge, senior.
“About 6-8 hours a week [spent on my extracurriculars],” said Ashelynn Justice, sophomore.
The time spent in these extracurriculars can be very stressful for many of these students. “Absolutely. I feel like they put a lot of responsibility on me that can be very stressful at times,” said Ragine Griffin, sophomore. Griffin is a part of multiple extracurriculars at Leesville including the theater program, and executive council.
Even with all the stress that arises with extracurriculars, students enjoy them very much. “I enjoy them and they are something I want to be a part of,” said Lucas Casterline, freshman.
Many students find this sense of community and belonging in their extracurriculars, especially sports. “It’s really fun to not only be a part of a team but get to work with other people on similar stuff and learn new things, “ said Elizabeth Dokulil, junior.
Many athletes participate in their sports to help with their futures, whether it’s something they want to continue to pursue or something they can put on a college application.
“I would say they are because track and field and sports can definitely help get me into colleges but help with life skills, and then clubs can help with my major in college or what I’m looking into doing in college,” said Dokulil.
“With my college application, they benefit my essays by showing that I can be a leader and be involved throughout my community in multiple ways,” said Griffin.
Extracurriculars are enjoyed by people from all different backgrounds, with many different options provided for all of these students to explore.
“I’m a part of the track, astronomy club, science national honors society, and pride for peace,” said Etheredge.
At Leesville, there were more than 50 clubs and organizations during the 2023-24 school year. Students could be members of many different things, such as the National Honors Society, Literary magazine, and Student Unions.
Meetings for these extracurriculars and events for them take place throughout the school year depending on which club/organization they are. Applications and preparations for many of them begin toward the end of the previous school year for many of them.
Even with the stress of everything extracurriculars do not take away from students’ willingness to be a part of them. “I think that it shows the commitment I have to the cause,” said Justice.
There are so many reasons to do extracurriculars, not only for their lives but also to help form their personality. “I feel like the extracurriculars I do add character to my personality and social life by giving me more communities to be a part of,” said Griffin.
Many students doing extracurriculars enjoy them very much. Extracurricular activities are very beneficial for these students, giving them a sense of community, as well as growing their skill sets and personalities for their futures.
