Not only is attending school important but being involved in extracurriculars as well. Some ways you can be involved at school are to join clubs, participate in sports, and make an appearance at your schools’ athletic games. To take part in these activities, you must have a way to get to and from these events; whether you have your license and can drive yourself, or a relative or friend who is available to transport you there. Unfortunately, there are many students who do not have this privilege of taking part in afterschool activities, specifically those who take the bus to and from school every day.
When talking to students who are being affected by this situation, freshman Gabriella Angeles states, “I’m not able to participate in afterschool activities because of my lack of transportation, but if I had a guaranteed ride to and from these activities, I would definitely be more involved in the school.” Freshman Shreya Raj explains, “It’s disappointing not being able to participate in afterschool activities because being involved in school is important to me, since it looks good on college applications, and it’s a great way to meet new friends and find people with the same common interests as me.” Students unable to attend extra-curricular activities suffer a lack of involvement in school. Because of this, they’re not obtaining the same number of opportunities that other students may have, not only in the present, but also in the future, due to college applications. This not only leaves students in an unfair situation, but also missing out on an engaging high school experience.
When interviewing principal Henderson to ask about his opinion on the situation, he voices that, “It is concerning, since we prioritize student involvement here at West High.” He explained that the transportation is very understaffed, as custodians split their time between those two jobs. During the discussion, the Tracy Tracer was brought up by Mr. Henderson. Students who attend West High are not only from Tracy, but a variety are also from River Islands in Lathrop. Unluckily, the Tracy Tracer doesn’t go through Lathrop, leaving those students unable to take advantage of the free transportation provided by the city.
When bringing up the idea of the school providing a late bus for its students, Mr. Henderson approved of the objective. Although the school district is unable to provide a late bus this year, he hopes to have it happen sooner rather than later, but will overall prioritize making this happen. Thanks to this, students will be able to easily take part in afterschool activities, just like the rest of the students here at West High.
