Extracurriculars are one of the quintessential experiences of high school. From quiz bowl to student council, clubs at South are one of the defining things the school excels at. But some students have been worried about the future of South’s clubs, as rumors circulate about the number of clubs shrinking. However, South’s Club Director Melissa Petz isn’t worried in the slightest about the amount of clubs available. She has high hopes for the future.
“I look for the quality of clubs as opposed to the number of clubs,” Petz said. “My question would be, ‘are students looking to have more clubs or a higher quality of clubs?’”
There are not as many clubs as of September 2024 as there were during the 2023-2024 school year. The past year also had the most clubs since before the pandemic. Petz understands this statistic, but doesn’t let it alter her spirits for the upcoming school year.
“25 percent of our population leaves every year,” Petz said. “The benefit of that is we get 25 percent of incoming freshmen coming in with fresh ideas, new motivation, new interests, [and] just a fresh perspective on things. That, to me, is impactful.”
Whether or not South has more or less clubs than the year prior isn’t relevant to Petz or club leaders. The statistics of how many clubs South has each year isn’t a concern for Petz, she sees how she can make an impact on students in all clubs at South, no matter how many.
“I think the people who want to join clubs will join clubs,” Petz said. “It won’t matter how many clubs, because we are creating leaders. Every club needs a strong support system.”
Prioritizing students and their necessities, Petz helps contribute to the positive feedback students give on the clubs they participate in. One of those students, Degen Leinninger ‘27, is satisfied with participating in clubs at South because of the personal interactions one can take part in.
“In clubs, you get to meet new people and socialize,” Leinninger said. “Different games and activities are always fun to do.”
Students and Petz are not worried about the numbers of clubs at South. What they are thinking about, however, is how they can improve the clubs and get the best experience from them.
“I’m not looking to stay steady at 50 clubs,” Petz said. “I’m looking to come to the students’ needs and work with them to find their happy place.”
