BY ALYSSA KHAN
At CCHS, many students are eager to start their own clubs, but due to a lack of available sponsors, are unable to do so. Teachers have enough on their plates without adding school clubs to the list. Some teachers create time to help students by sponsoring their clubs, but others don’t. Some teachers have decided to pick up three or four clubs, but others don’t sponsor any.
Teachers are able to sign on and off for clubs whenever they choose. There’s no accountability system when it comes to sponsoring clubs, so teachers are able to pick and choose when they want to help. This not only affects clubs as a whole, but the officers of the clubs as well. They are left sponsorless and, in turn, have to constantly be on the lookout for someone new.
Model United Nations (MUN) Historian Sabrina Rapoport spoke about this firsthand. The previous sponsor for MUN, Stephen Franzone, dropped the club in the middle of the 2018-2019 school year. The officers were left frantically trying to come up with a way to get a new sponsor. Model UN has not had any meetings or activities this year because they have yet to find a sponsor.
“Every club requires a sponsor, but teachers don’t have to sponsor [clubs],” Rapoport said. “There’s an overwhelming amount of clubs that need sponsors, but such a small amount of teachers that are actually willing to sponsor.”
“There’s an overwhelming amount of clubs that need sponsors, but such a small amount of teachers that are actually willing to sponsor.”
How can teachers expect students to feel encouraged to get involved when they are not doing it themselves? Rapoport and the rest of the Model UN officers are holding out hope that another teacher will be able to take on their club.
Class of 2021 Vice President Katarina Esquivel has the same issue. She was looking to start her own dance club this school year. One of the reasons she wasn’t able to along with other interested students was because she couldn’t find a sponsor.
“I probably asked about 10 teachers to be my sponsor,” Esquivel said. “I went to my teachers and other teachers between classes, but no one would sponsor me.”
Students are encouraged to participate in multiple clubs, but it’s very difficult for new clubs to get a following. Esquivel mentioned how some of the larger, more established clubs have devoted members who consistently commit their time to them. This is why new clubs have a hard time recruiting members, and the officers often feel discouraged.
There’s room for change, however. Some students have suggested that the school make a rule stating that every teacher has to sponsor at least one club. This way, there could be a wider variety of clubs and students would feel more inclined to start their own.
Photo by Makinzi Burgs
