With this past Wednesday being the annual club expo, some underclassmen may be wondering why they should get involved in clubs. While I did not participate very much when I was a freshman and a sophomore, I will say that not doing so may be one of the biggest regrets I have through my high school career. 

I would boil down the importance of clubs into three simple ideas. One, they are simply really fun; two, they connect you with different people that you may not normally talk to; and, three, they look good to colleges. 

First, they are fun. NDA offers many clubs to the point that there has to be something for someone to do and most of these clubs have something fun to offer you. In my experience with the German Club that I have been a part of, mostly since junior year, we have Mario Kart meetings where we play games for the entire time. Those nights are always super fun and something to do outside of school. Clubs like this offer a way to connect with other people in the NDA community in fun ways.

Second, the people. Sometimes it can be intimidating to break out of your shell and talk to other people besides your friends, especially with people from other classes. However, these clubs help bridge that gap. They help connect people that have a common interest, and meetings help people to bond over their passions for the club’s subject. 

Third, how they look to colleges. Colleges like to know what you do with your time outside of your school work and now more than ever they look at your all-around character. They want to make sure that you will thrive in a college setting, and clubs and extracurriculars help inspire confidence in them that you can be a team player and work with other students. 

So if there has ever been a club that you have been interested in but have never joined or you are not in any clubs, try it out and see what you like. You definitely will get some benefits from it. I know I have. Now this does not mean sign up for everything right away, but at least try to find something. 

We only go through high school once in our lives, so try to make something out of it.