It’s becoming a pattern: I open up Schoology to look at what I’ll have during Community Time that week, and it’s always a never-ending list of activities: advisory, clubs, affinity groups and LEAD, but not one full Community Time of office hours.

With clubs and affinity groups now in full swing, there has been a noticeable change in Community Time usage since the beginning of the school year. There have been at least five weeks this year in which there has not been a single day with just office hours scheduled for Community Time. Office hours are extremely important for upper school life, giving students time to meet with their teachers, which becomes even more necessary as they get older and the workload increases. And sure, the Schoology reminder says “Clubs/Office Hours,” but what that really means is you either make your homework your priority and meet with teachers, or you attend clubs and affinity groups.

As both a club leader, club attendee and LEADer, this puts me in a very hard position. Oftentimes I find myself having to leave supervising my own club to my partner so I can attend LEAD meetings. I love clubs and affinity groups at UPrep; it’s always a fun and different experience to get together with people who have at least one thing in common with you.

This is why the scheduling conflict puts students in a difficult place, and with the emphasis on both academics and community at UPrep, it feels like a lose/lose situation. I often find myself not able to attend all the clubs and affinity groups that I want to because I just don’t have the time.

Scheduling both office hours and clubs at the same time harms the student body. Club leaders have fewer people coming to their clubs, and the students who do go to clubs might sacrifice that night’s homework. Those who do their homework instead lose a sense of community that is so unique to UPrep.

I propose that once a week there be at least one day where there is nothing scheduled but office hours. This alternative use for Community Time would mean that clubs and affinity groups would meet less, but I think there would be an overall positive effect to this change. And as a club leader I would not mind at all if my club met less if it meant that I would get to attend every meeting. I don’t want to have to keep sacrificing attending the clubs I love for my education.