Enrichment has always been one of my favorite parts of the day. I love that I get a period that I can alter to my individual needs. It allows me to see people I don’t normally see during the day, and get extra help from teachers in subjects I struggle with. However, this year, instead of having three enrichment periods per week, we have two—and it has presented some issues.

Enrichment has been used as an important meeting time for clubs. For example, I am in the guitar club “Femmes of Rock”. When concert season (the 2-3 weeks before the concert) rolls around for us, we need to meet up at every chance we get to ensure that we are playing the best we can. However, due to enrichment only being around for two days of the week this year, we have lost out on hours of practice time. Many of us can’t meet after school—and I know this isn’t just an issue for Femmes of Rock. Many clubs have felt robbed of their meeting times, and it is harder for students to join multiple clubs. 

Students have also had to set strict priorities for themselves due to the lost enrichment period. People have had to debate whether they should socialize and build stronger connections with their peers, or whether they should speak to their teachers and build stronger connections with the information they are presented in class. It can be tricky trying to balance club attendance and grades, especially if there are after school restrictions already set in place. It is unfair for students to have to consistently pick one over the other, especially since colleges like to see both good grades and well-rounded experiences.

While I understand that the counseling department has opted for another advisory period to give them more time to engage with their students, primarily seniors who have to go through the college application process, I feel that the majority of the student body is underrepresented by this choice. Seniors definitely need all the time they can get for college application assistance, but only seniors are needing this extra help. There are 5 other grades in the school! Also, the college application season ends a little over halfway through the school year. Once that season has ended, seniors might not need the extra time with their advisors and counselors.

Overall, I miss the third enrichment period that we had last year. It allowed students to meet with clubs, teachers, and friends more often, and gave students something to look forward to. I wish students good luck regarding their time management skills, and I hope that we regain our third enrichment period!