The brand new underclassmen coming into this incredibly large school deserve to have a variety of clubs as an outlet to meet people and become a part of a bigger community. However, if all the big responsibilities in clubs and sports are reserved for seniors, then Jackson-Reed will never be able to see the talent and creativity other years can bring to the table.
Our sports teams should strive to win every game. Period. If this means that seniors have to sit on the bench, then that should not be a problem. If a kid has the talent, then they should be played. Being a senior should not automatically mean that everything is handed to them. In order to get a starting position on a team, everyone should have to work at the same level. Talent and work-ethic should be more important than any amount of experience a player has. This could also bring a healthy amount of competition to the table between seniors and other grade levels, allowing for all of our sports teams to become that much better throughout the season.
With all the different activities our school has to offer, people regardless of their age should be able to take on bigger roles within an extracurricular. If the upperclassmen are struggling to properly lead and execute meetings within their club, then underclassmen should be able to step in. Younger years normally have a lower workload then upperclassmen, which could help suit them even more for taking on the role as head of a club. If extracurriculars took more of an underclassman’s talent and thoughts into account, then the clubs at our school would be much more interesting and inclusive. We should be encouraging younger people to express themselves and bring their personality into our community- not telling them that they have to wait their turn to shine.
Though I don’t believe in the importance of seniority, I’m not saying that upperclassmen don’t deserve to have their voices heard in the sports and clubs our school offers. Being a junior myself, it would be fun to be handed the most amount of power and responsibility my senior year. However, I think that the thing that makes Jackson-Reed so special is the diversity we have. It would be a shame not to acknowledge the younger and newer opinions each year brings into this school. So let’s start ditching the idea of seniority, and instead give people the spots on sports and clubs they deserve solely based on the personality and talent they bring to the table.
