What if you were forced to join something you didn't want to do? Our principal has decided, for all students, to participate in one, or more, extracurricular activity. I disagree with this decision for many reasons including, students might not have time after school, Students might have already joined an activity outside of school, and students parents being affected as well.

After school is a time for students to do what they desire such as relax, hang out with friends, play video games, and much more. After school is also a time where students can complete their homework, either in school or at home. When we force each student to participate in one activity it can take up their afternoon; When students aren't able to finish their assignments in the afternoon, they will try to complete it during the night time. Unfortunately, many students stay up all night to complete their assignments, and show up to school really tired and unable to focus during class.

As I stated before, students can use their after school time to do what they please, but what if students already joined an activity not related to school? When students already participate in an activity, such as basketball or dance, that they signed up for outside of school, they won't have time for the extra activity our principal wants us to join. An example is when a student already has soccer after school for two days a week, sadly, this student has to join debate after school, because of this new rule, on the same day as his soccer practices; Because debate is now mandatory, this student will have to skip something he loves, soccer, for a school activity.

Mostly all students parents have to work. Some parents have to work really late on the weekday and won't be able to pick up their child from school. Some parents have babysitters that can pick up their kids, but what about the parents who can't afford a babysitter and can't reach out to someone to pick up their child? When we enforce this rule, parents will have to pick their child up somehow. Fortunately, there are after school late buses, but some students walk ,or is driven, to school. During the winter time, when the after school program is finished, students who usually walk home will have to walk in the dark. Students being kids/teens, their brains aren't fully developed, and when walking in the dark, the students probably won't think twice about being cautious while walking home; When this happens an accident can occur.

In conclusion, enforcing this new rule can be inconvenient to families who's parents work late, to students who already joined an activity, that they signed up for outside of school, and to students who have a lot of homework that needs to be completed.