BY JULIA SAFRIN
Every year, seemingly oblivious eighth-graders, who are still trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be, walk into freshman orientation. They are like fish out of water about to be bombarded with information not only about grades, classes and graduation requirements, but also ways to make the best out of their high school experience.
Incoming freshmen will hear that attending school events like the homecoming dance and being involved in extracurriculars, sports and clubs are vital to their high school experience. However, not everybody bites this hook. In an Instagram poll, 74% of CCHS students said that they themselves or somebody they know knowingly don’t participate in school events and/or activities.
Apathetic students at CCHS are the majority, and with only 13% of students who say they are involved in clubs, the same students usually attend events and activities and are actively involved in high school life outside of academics.
The Student Government Association (SGA) coordinates many school events and activities such as the homecoming dance, spirit weeks and pep rallies. These events are put on by SGA for the student body who seldom participate. Although the majority of the student body disregards and ignores the association’s attempts, SGA looks on the bright side of student apathy.
“I feel like the high school experience is a lot more individualized than people like to act, so while attending football games and dances is vital to some, for me and my friend group it was just not a thing we did.”
“In SGA, we always experience student apathy among our student body, [with] the kids who don’t come out to [the] pep rally, homecoming or don’t participate in spirit days,” SGA Membership Motivation Executive Chairman, Summer Testa, said. “Instead of taking it as a negative, we always use it as a positive of what we can improve on so that our events are more inclusive and successful.”
The reason for the lack of participation varies among students. While some don’t care enough to participate, for others these events just aren’t their cup of tea and seem unnecessary for making the most out of their high school experience.
“I feel like the high school experience is a lot more individualized than people like to act, so while attending football games and dances is vital to some, for me and my friend group it was just not a thing we did,” senior Brock Kern said.
Other students are more blunt when it comes to expressing the lack of appeal of participating in school events and activities.
“I most definitely think [participation] is a part of the high school experience because the memories and friends made may stick with you for a lifetime.”
“[For me the high school experience is] waking up at 7:15 and going home as soon as possible at 2:40,” former CCHS student Eric Souza said. “I don’t see why I would participate in school activities in my free time.”
Even though the majority of students don’t tend to listen to advice about making the best out of your high school experience through involvement, the ones that do participate in activities typically enjoy the choices they’ve made.
“As a freshman, I was hesitant to participate in activities. As the year went by, I realized you start to miss out on the fun things if you don’t participate,” freshman Soumya Joseph said. “I most definitely think [participation] is a part of the high school experience because the memories and friends made may stick with you for a lifetime.”
Student apathy— while it can be due to an unconcerned student body— is not always a matter of students not caring. Participation is not for everybody, as the high school experience is being happy and satisfied with the choices students have made.
Photo by The Lariat Photography
