Whether it is track, theater, or guard, many different extracurriculars occupy students with long out-of-school practices or meetings, which could potentially take a huge toll.  

“I do track. I enjoy it because it’s nice to get together, meet new people, and have new friends,” junior Mya Leno said. 

Running track is a strenuous activity in itself, but adding the load of the workouts after a long day can make it a bit tough to manage. 

“We have practices Monday through Friday, about two hours. They can be draining because they drain my energy, so I never really have the energy at home to want to do my schoolwork. But, it does not affect my academics because many of my teachers are okay with me turning stuff in late, but I still try my best to turn stuff in on time,” Leno said.

Leno revealed how she stays motivated throughout the day. 

“ I keep myself motivated with my music. The music I listen to gets me through my days and makes me happy,” Leno said.

Some extracurricular activities are worth any struggle because of the bond built with peers. 

“ I’m taking just guard as my extracurricular. I like it because we try to build a family bond with each other, and it’s just fun when you get to know everybody. We all just try to be there for each other like family,” sophomore Annabelle Clark said.

She explained the practices.

“We practice from 4 to 7:15 three days a week, so, just about three hours. It can be draining, but many of us stay up on our work, so it’s not  too bad. We aren’t affected by the late practices because Mrs. Wishmeyer stays on us to ensure we get stuff done on time,” Clark said. 

Shifting from students who take sports as extracurricular activities, sophomore Avianna Lee has a different experience. 

“I’m in one extracurricular, and it is theater. I do the lights, and I enjoy them because they give me something to do after school. We have practice every day for three hours, which can be draining because when I go home, I feel like I don’t want to do anything. It causes me to get behind in my homework sometimes, making my grades drop. But I can usually manage,” Lee said.

Lee shared her trick to staying motivated throughout the show season. 

“I always try to motivate myself and tell myself that ‘ I can do it.’ Knowing that the end is near and that the show will be good also pushes me just to try my best,” Lee said.