Chimeh Esegbue (‘20) and I speed walk down the hallway. We yank open the door, and storm into Room 105, where the rest of the Key Club officers sit. We present our slide show, tout some deadlines, and answer some unenthusiastic questions. Then the bell rings. Our 20 minutes are up. The club members stand up and rush out of the room. Club time is officially over.

It will be over a month before our club ever meets again.

Last years schedule, which was met with mixed reactions from both students and staff. Some praised the newly formed “cougar-time,” while others criticized it as a waste of time.

Taking note of this feedback, the administration has now presented us with a newly reformed (and somewhat bizarre) weekly schedule, where Thursday is presented as our “club day.” But having only one club day creates a whole new array of problems. For starters, all of our assemblies, drills, and other miscellaneous events are scheduled on Thursday. For clubs that depend on close-knit bonds between members, this hectic schedule is brutal.

But more distressingly, the lack of a second club day cuts down on the number of options a student has. Last year, many students took advantage of the double club days and participated in multiple clubs. Even if an assembly ate up a day of club time, there would still be another fruitful day of club activity left.

With our current schedule, such freedom is impossible. Students are forced to choose one club, and even then, it becomes a rare occurence to take part in club activities at all. The students become more and more disinterested until the lively hearth that was once the Bothell Club Community is reduced to a pile of cold ash.

Now you may be wondering why I’m raising such a fuss over something as silly as club time. Are clubs really that essential to the success of Bothell High Students? In a way, yes. Participating in a club is a student’s way of going past the minimum requirements of school. It shows that one is determined enough to break through the monotony of school to forge new relations with other students, who often share similar interests. It’s a priceless skill, and it’s wrong for it to be taken from the hands of students.

So to whoever comes up with the school schedules, I raise to you a modest proposal. Instead of reverting back to last years schedule, why not make friday a club day as well? I understand that this would mean there would be no more “normal” full days at Bothell, but does that even matter? Periods on Thursday and Friday only differ by 5 minutes, 5 minutes that are often spent packing up or standing at the door.

This way, students are exposed to more opportunities to mingle with the Bothell High Community, and pave the way to a more sociable and creative learning environment.