Once school is over and students have finished their classes for the day, UC High students are still busy with sports, auditions, rehearsals, and even clubs. While some schools focus heavily on academics and don’t leave very many extracurricular opportunities open for students, UC High places a strong emphasis on after-school activities and actively encourages all students to participate.
UC High makes it very clear that they are fully supportive of all the sports that they provide. “We have a very nice stadium and field to go with it. You can also tell that our school takes care of all of the courts and fields we have because they are always kept very nice and neat,” said Junior Riley Conklin. Having nice playing fields is a key indicator that UC High’s staff and administration are in support of the athletics program. According to an education-focused news organization, “The skills that sports aspire to teach — perseverance, self-discipline, leadership, and teamwork — are the very ones that help produce successful graduates and responsible citizens” (edweek.org). UC High administrators clearly understand this and have done a great job encouraging and supporting our athletic teams.
Our school’s theater program is another example of how our school recognizes and displays the talent students have to offer. “There are a bunch of posters hanging that have the time and dates that our school’s theater program has a play,” said Senior Sara Tomayko. Advertisement and promotion amplified by staff increase the attendance of students and staff, showing their support for the theater program.
The theater program is also promoted in the ASB videos; they film interactions with the actors in the play and provide information about the play. “I mostly hear about what our school’s theater program has going on through the ASB videos that my teacher plays for us during my third period,” said Junior Kylee Blennerhassatt. This shows that UC High is focused on making extracurricular activities the best they can be for students.
Clubs are also very well represented at our school. “We have Cub Rush at the beginning of the school year where we get to learn about all the different types of clubs and sign up for ones we think we will enjoy. We are also able to make our own clubs and get funds so that we can host meetings and share our ideas with the members,” said Junior Ethan Goodwin. With a large variety of clubs and easy access to them, it encourages students to explore their interests and connect with like-minded peers.
While lots of extracurriculars are represented well here at UC High, some students feel that only certain parts are truly represented. Junior Parker Richardson said, “I wish there were more clubs that weren’t so school-focused. A lot of the clubs are related to classes or volunteering, and less about having fun. There used to be a Surf Club, but there wasn’t enough interest, so it got disbanded.” This shows that even though our school does a great job with supporting most extracurricular activities, there is still room for improvement by boosting clubs of all varieties.
Our school’s strength does not only come from academics but also through sports, theater, clubs, and all of the other extracurricular activities UC High has to offer. While academics are indispensable, supporting extracurricular activities is equally valuable.