Making The Best of Your High School Career – English Essay
The speech from my freshman orientation into high school still rings clear in my head. “Get involved, get involved, get involved” was the senior class president’s motto for his speech to us that day. With each word he spoke, I knew that in order to make the best of my high school career, I needed to do what he said and “get involved”.
Though budget cuts may be necessary, you as a school board should reconsider the options available for elimination or restriction. Extracurricular activities and programs in drama, music, or art are essential parts of a high school education. Studies have shown that children involved in “fine arts” such as choir, band, or theater, do significantly better in school than those who don’t participate. Being involved in those activities is more beneficial than just learning the notes or becoming a good flute player, they teach you life long skills.
Looking back into my experience in my high school show choir, I learned the most valuable skill of all; I learned about myself. I realized what it means to be a leader, and what it means to be involved in a group. I learned how important it was to consider the group’s best interest, instead of your own. I learned how to stand up for myself, how to stick to what I believe in, and how to be a role model. Show choir was never just about singing. It was about life. If I would have never had that experience, I would not be as mature and well rounded as I am today. These programs are crucial in a teen’s development, and will help them to grow into the person they need to become.
Another factor to consider is the necessity of extracurricular activities. Whether it is football, chess club, or National Honors Society, there is an activity for every type of person. Teenagers’ main struggle in high school is fitting in, or feeling like they belong somewhere. Taking away such activities can destroy someone’s self-esteem, or take away that feeling of pride and accomplishment. Their schoolwork will suffer because they feel there is no point in succeeding. Studies have also shown that involvement in extracurricular activities boosts students’ performance in the classroom. The activities teach you about determination, and about meeting the goal or deadline. They help you manage your time better, so you complete the assignment on time without procrastinating. If these programs are eliminated, motivation and success will disappear along with them.
Taking away such vital activities and programs does more harm than good. There are other ways to decrease budget than to destroy life-changing skills. Paying an extra fifty cents for lunch makes all the difference in the world if it means kids can still be involved in these programs. You as a school board must realize what will be missing in their lives if they aren’t given the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. Let them “get involved, get involved, get involved”. That senior class president’s words made an impact in my life; I would hate to make him change his speech.