Activities Fair
The STHS Activities Fair occurs every September and is an opportunity for students to learn about all the clubs at STHS. Clubs set up tables in the cafeteria to provide information about their club, goods to give out, and a sign-up sheet for interested students. The activities fair is especially directed at freshmen looking to become involved at the high school.
Mr. LaRocco, the assistant principal and head of activities, says, “The goal this year was to have each student involved in at least one activity,” including “athletics.”
It’s no surprise to see varying degrees of involvement because of the diverse community at Springfield. This is especially prominent during the activities fair, which offers a variety of clubs and activities. Our student body is made up of people willing to try different activities and people who lack interest in the existing clubs.
Student Interest
A student’s involvement in a club is based on many factors: what their friends signed up for, their personal interests, or a club that provides opportunities for service hours. Students who already know what they’re interested in have no problem and eagerly sign up for multiple clubs, while others might hesitate before committing.
Chloe Huenke, a freshman, said she will join “Bands, chorus, thespian, and robotics” because she’s “always been interested in music and playing piano since I was six. I’ve done band since 4th grade, and I’ve always wanted to do robotics, but I never had time.” For Chloe, the activity fair provided an opportunity to join clubs that she’s always wanted to.
Similar, another freshman, Ella DePasquale said that she “wanted to join a lot of clubs” to see what she was interested in before settling.
It’s typical for freshmen to sign up for more clubs than they can plausibly participate in, wrapped up in the day’s excitement, before settling on a few that they truly have an interest in. The beginning period of the year allows freshmen to test their interests before they commit to something for the entirety of their high school career.
Student’s Lack of Interest
Springfield offers a variety of clubs including groups that center around visual art, government, culture, business, volunteering, and writing. By doing so, the hope is that there will be something for everyone to join.
However, some students still aren’t involved in anything at school. Students reported that they have other priorities, a lack of free time, or aren’t interested in these clubs.
Though Springfield tries to accommodate all of these issues by having clubs that meet at different times, some students are simply not interested in joining a club. When interviewing freshmen during the activities fair, some said they were not interested in any clubs and weren’t planning on joining any.
Despite this, Mr. LaRocco notes studies that show students doing better in school when joining extra-curriculars and “encourages all students to find time to join an activity and have some fun.”
The Future of the Activities Fair
In the past, the activities fair has been held throughout the school, with each club spread out through the school, but since last year, the fair has been held in the school’s cafeteria.
Mr. LaRocco said that the new location “gives an opportunity for all students to see all the clubs and activities we have all at once.” Instead of clubs being separated, “students can check it out all and get as much information as they can.” This way, they can make decisions on what they want to be a part of based on all the information.
This allows students to see all the clubs offered, but some freshmen wish it were more spread out to help them visit more booths and spend more time at each one. Maybe this means that we can think about returning to the old ways of the activities fair next year.
As these new freshmen become more integrated into our school community through clubs that they find interest in, the cycle will begin again next year with the new broad-minded freshmen.