The principal should not require students to participate in at least one extracurricular activity at school. Students have their own life outside of school and may enjoy doing other things that is not an extracurricular activity, so they would not want to partake in any of the clubs. They also have other commitments outside of school that they must make time for. Parents may also have a problem with driving their students to these activities or picking them up as they have work and other errands they must do as well.

One thing that people receive as they grow older is more responsibility, and more decisions are completely their own. This situation should also give the students the choice of whether they would enjoy participating in any extracurricular activity. As an eighth grader, I have been given many opportunities to decide my own path and do what I wanted to do. I would expect to receive the same option in this scenario as this would only affect me and the club I am joining. It would not affect the principal in any way. Other students will also expect the same. This is also when we start doing what we enjoy and would like to continue to do as a career. Instead of doing an extracurricular activity that they don't enjoy, students can give time to these activities and be better prepared for the future. As my dad likes to say, "The opportunity to make your own decision is why we can operate on our own free will."

Students have also made many commitments outside of school that they need to give time to. Some of these may not even be an option as an extracurricular activity. Others may have students who would rather work alone than with a group of people. They may also not be as comfortable doing something at school that they wouldn't have even hesitated to do in the comfort of their home. Some students will not bring some materials to school for fear of losing or breaking them. Those materials may be what makes the activity enjoyable. For example, many students love doing art and have many different pens and pencils just for that purpose. However, they would never bring them to school as the pens and pencils are very special to them. Other activities can not be done at school unless there is a room created specifically for that purpose. Cooking needs appliances that must be built into the room, it can not easily be moved. Many schools do not have a room that the students can access with these such appliances in them. These such obstacles are not easily overcome as they can be costly. Others are an unrealistic goal.

Another problem is that parents or guardians may not be able to pick the students up. They have their own busy schedules that may not align with the activity's schedule. The student may chose another option, but they may not enjoy it as much. Someone who does not enjoy their activity will not put in as much effort as they would of if they did. These activities also will not all end at the same time as they need different amounts of time to accomplish their tasks. Thus, the school may not be able to provide transportation for all of the students. This is important as the students need to be able to go safely home. Ninety percent students here at Generic_School rely on their parents and the buses to get them home. Their houses are too far away for them to walk safely. However, Generic_School does not require its students to participate in an extracurricular activity, so schedules can be worked out and aligned. This lets all of the students get home safely.

Because of the reasons stated above, students should not be required to participate in at least one extracurricular activity. They should be able to carve their own path, meet their own commitments, and travel safely home. The principal does not have their viewpoint and, as such, should not force the students to do so.