In my opinion, the amount of attention that the clubs get here at Lambert is showing a significant bias towards big organizational ones; there needs to be a more equal sharing of opportunity for every club that Lambert offers in order to help foster club community growth and creativity for years to come.

To put it plainly, most club activity here at Lambert only shows favor to big organization clubs, with many of the smaller clubs being pushed to the side and left with only a couple members. I myself have been a part of clubs that are clearly fueled by creative passion at first, only to wind up with little to no life left. Meanwhile, much more widespread names like HOSA and FBLA thrive with consistently high membership, boasting many accolades and achievements in their many competitions and conventions. Although there are many gifted members, part of the reason for their significance comes from their sheer size and substantial funding, creating a snowball effect of constant growth.

“I feel many students feel they’re obliged to join the biggest clubs and are in turn greeted with massive service hour requests, almost like a cult” Prateek Yadav (an officer of the LHS UNICEF club) states.

I don’t mean to say that clubs like FBLA and HOSA are terrible or unworthy, but it’s that this imbalance is something that should be fixed: we as a school should put more shared emphasis and attention amongst all the clubs. By attempting this, the more likely it will be that those once small and unpopular groups will become thriving hubs of social connectivity. Lambert’s more local clubs may not share the same nationwide reputation or promises of résumé-worthy statements.

There is also a practical solution that is available to us, and just in time, too. In less than a week, Club Rush will take place on August 28th, showcasing all the extracurricular opportunities that await Lambert’s newcomers. This would be the perfect launching pad for students to find ways to fit in. Maybe through methods such as more widespread media coverage or interviews with presidents of smaller clubs, progress can start to show. I truly hope that Lambert will focus on having more of an equal opportunity for all clubs to thrive and reflect in Lambert High School.