For the 2017-2018 school year the Great Bend High School administration has decided to prohibit advisory time to be used for club meetings. For many club sponsors and club presidents this new implementation seems like a hard hit to member involvement because now, without in-school meetings, not all students will be available to participate in activities.

Interestingly enough, our students in 1972 were concerned with the same issues. In the September 15, 1972 Panther Tales a small story titled Hope for Clubs? covers the same worries many students have today. With athletes having after school practices and students having a hard time waking up early, advisory seems like the perfect time to hold meetings and get togethers, but what about those who weren’t involved in anything? Another concern the 1972 story talked about was: what are these uninvolved students expected to do for twenty minutes?

When asking what their opinions were about this advisory crisis, Mrs.Tina Hiss comments that, “A disadvantage of this new advisory rule is that not all students will be able to participate in activities.” Senior athlete, Esmeralda Delgadillo, says “During the spring I play for the GBHS girls soccer, so with the new club meeting times it makes it harder for me to keep up with the different clubs I am in.

One thing that can be said for certain is that many will have to prioritize their activities. Whether that means getting up early to attend meetings or missing tennis practice to compete in FBLA, students will have to learn how to adjust to this new requirement.