Whether Mock Trial captain, Peer Leader or founder of a club, Paideia students are actively involved in the community. However, are they really in it for the right reasons? As college admissions become more competitive each year, students search for leadership roles to boost their resumes. However, this leads to doubt as to whether students are actually passionate about their activities or if they are participating for praise and college application fodder.
With such a small student body, Paideia is unable to fully support both previous clubs and the new clubs added each year. Teachers only have so much time to sponsor club meetings and activities: “I’m perfectly content with sponsoring my one club, the Blue Rider,” says Sarah Schiff. “It takes a lot of my time and energy so I wouldn’t want to add any clubs on top of that.”
Meanwhile, the competition for club members can downgrade the experience for active clubs, such as Pi Blooms: “We’ve only had six people show up to arrange flowers this year when in the past we’ve had 15-20 people… its a bit discouraging to look around at the club I’ve inherited and think, ‘this is all we are now,’ says club leader Rachel Morrison ’27.
Leadership roles are no longer simply a way to influence the community or have a positive impact on the school as a whole; in recent years, they have become a symbol of a student’s eagerness for recognition and the necessity of an extensive resume. Whether or not one admits to it, the rising pressures of high school and the selective nature of colleges is causing a drastic shift in people’s intentions and motives for becoming involved in the community. While other causes like senioritis and burnout may contribute to the recent regression in meaningful leadership engagement, a lack of authentic interest leaves clubs destined to eventually fail.
It’s time for all Paideians to look inward and ask themselves why they’re actually participating in their clubs—and if they find the answer lacking, to discover ways to engage with the community while staying true to themselves.
