Photo courtesy of @ea.upper
With 72 clubs serving an Upper School body of roughly 500 students, The Episcopal Academy boasts an extraordinarily active student community. At the club fair, options are endless. However, there is growing concern among both faculty and students about the increase in inactive clubs. In recent years, EA clubs have lacked the commitment that made them impactful. Likely originating from college admissions pressure, this shift has saturated the club environment and overloaded students’ time and focus.
Upper School Student Council Advisor Andrea Yu compares the past club approval process to “rubber stamping.” Virtually any newly proposed club that followed the few limitations required was approved with relatively light questioning. Yu says, “Each new club would fill out a form answering core questions beforehand, and the student council would only ask quick follow-ups.” Consequently, EA saw a proliferation of less dedicated clubs that rarely met.
Both faculty and staff point to the pressure of college admissions as the main reason behind this new trend. Yu says, “I never want any kids to think that just because, hypothetically, you started the English Literature Club, that’s going to get you into a great school. It’s about what you do with it.” Similarly, US history teacher Michael Whalen ’08 says, “[newer clubs] are often grounded in, unfortunately, a desire to add something to the resume and are part of the competition that comes with college.” Students have noticed this, too. President of Quiz Bowl Joseph Doyle ’27 remarks, “There are too many clubs because there are a lot of fake clubs that don’t meet at all. They’re just doing it for college.”
This inflation of clubs dilutes their overall value. When dozens of clubs compete for limited meeting times during domino and activity, participation is inevitably sparse. Yu explains, “There’s 70 clubs, there’s 500-something people. The math doesn’t add up, and it suffocates clubs that actually, you know, want to grow legs and get running.” Students also feel this burden of overextension. John Salva ’29 shares, “I felt that I needed to join many clubs and stretched myself too thin.” When students try to be a part of five or six clubs, they end up being unable to spend adequate time on any of them.
Despite this negative trend, there are still many clubs that continue to provide students value. The Girls in STEM Club, for example, offers a welcoming community for girls to pursue their STEM interests. Muriel Fitz-Kaltenmeier ’27, co-president, says the club also “provides opportunities…like Penn shadowing days and shadowing days at other colleges.” Such pursuits of knowledge and tangible benefits are what make EA clubs especially meaningful. Furthermore, leisure and hobby clubs provide equally important relaxation and connection that offer students rest from their demanding schedules.
To preserve the spirit of EA’s clubs, the student council plans to change the process of renewing clubs and approving new ones. Starting last spring, Yu required all clubs to meet with her and demonstrate concrete impact to receive renewal. She also recommends focusing on improving and growing existing clubs rather than creating more clubs. Alternatively, combining clubs is an effective way to consolidate interests and participation. Expanding the range of clubs is not inherently negative, provided that they are formed with purpose. To ensure EA clubs continue to be a vibrant and valuable part of the student body, they must be built on authenticity. While the number has inflated due to external pressures, the student council is working to ensure clubs once again reflect and facilitate our students’ diverse interests.