ASB is the club that works tirelessly, endless nights and days all for the school events that we as students much enjoy, such as spirit week, dances, and rallies. While students enjoy these activities, ASB members often sacrifice significant personal time, even outside of school, to make them possible. The real question is: are they overworked yet underappreciated?
Being a member of ASB involves more than attending meetings and taking the class. Personal time is often sacrificed, and some members often miss classes for activities, putting in immense effort and long hours to ensure these events run smoothly. On rally days, ASB students show up to school an hour earlier than their peers and end up missing class to finish preparations. School dances as well demand even more time from classes, with students setting up the day before and staying late into the night to clean up. ASB members have to design everything from the layout to the flyers needed for the dance. Adding more fuel to the fire, a mandatory attendee is needed for ASB members to maintain the class grades, making it more of a responsibility than a fun experience. Therefore I believe ASB members are overworked and their efforts are underappreciated.
Furthermore, ASB members also have to face the backlash for policies they don’t control, particularly the club and funds committee. Despite their hard work, they are often the scapegoat for administrative decisions, with frustration directed at them.
Balancing academics, extracurricular activities, and ASB duties often leads to students feeling burnout. Many ASB members are also involved in other clubs and/or sports, causing a strain on their schedules. The pressure to excel academically while meeting activity and task deadlines leave little time for these students to rest or participate in personal activities. Deadlines for planning events often overlap with homework assigned or tests, forcing students to prioritize one over the other. This could hurt their academic performance or leave them exhausted from the constant juggling of ASB and academics.
Even though ASB members acknowledged that they signed up for this role and its accompanying responsibilities, we often forget that they are also at our age—they are also adolescents who have other responsibilities outside of school. It is unfair to place such a huge burden on those young souls who are still growing and learning.
The hard work of ASB members deserves more recognition as they work hard to ensure we enjoy school events. Without them, our school would be mundane and dull. From homecoming to spirit rallies, ASB helps foster a sense of community and school pride for all Matadors. Yet, their long hours of work often go unnoticed or ignored. With adequate support, we can make ASB members feel seen for the immense effort and the sacrificed personal time they have put in. As a result of how hard they work, as students and members of the Matador community we should enjoy and participate to show our pride and appreciation for ASB and all they do.
