Five days a week, six hours a day. That’s what school is… except it really isn’t. School is a home for opportunities and a way to foster exploration, with students using their school week to develop their own worlds. Many Oak Park High School students take on projects to create positive change in their communities. Coupled with sports, competitions and hobbies, OPHS students have a lot on their plates.
Students’ schedules tend to be diverse. Junior Diya Varrier is a prime example, pursuing a widespread selection of extracurriculars.
“I’m on the rocketry and debate teams, I run Curing the Future and ESL tutoring, I do Hindustani singing and I’m part of CosmoCoding,” Varrier said.
Both Curing the Future and English Second Language are clubs based at OPHS dedicated towards serving the community. However, pursuing the clubs’ goals comes with a lot of responsibilities, which Varrier manages through her passion for community service.
“I value service because I’m able to give back to the community, which is why I try to make the clubs as successful as possible,” Varrier said.
Additionally, Varrier believes that having a strong cast of supporters for an organization is essential to running it successfully, whether these be friends or club members. The same can be said for a team. Freshman Shashank Brahmandam emphasized the importance of team culture.
“I’m doing OPHS cross country and next semester I’ll be doing OPHS track. Having practice every week has helped me improve my running, but it’s also helped me meet new people,” Brahmandam said. “Being part of a team means we work together and aim to win together.”
Along with these sports, Brahmandam participates in a collection of other activities.
“I’m part of HOSA and I’m on the speech team. Outside of school, I play piano.”
Participating in a multitude of projects often leads to an intensely packed schedule, which can be overwhelming and difficult to manage. Methods of solving this issue tend to vary from person to person.
“I try to schedule [my activities] on different days, but I make sure to get at least 15 minutes of work in for each every day,” Brahmandam said.
However, some activities, like Boy Scouts, come with set dates and may even bleed into the weekend.
“Boy Scouts is a community-focused program in which we participate in campouts and also learn a variety of skills through merit badges,” Paniadimai said. “The skills range from modern talents such as computer graphics and digital photography to more old-fashioned talents such as rope-tying. They even indulge into everyday activities such as cooking.”
Boy Scouts also follows a rank system, similar to martial arts and other organizations.
“Right now, I’m a First Class scout, which I have achieved in a year. However, it can take three to four years to achieve this rank,” Paniadimai said.
Paniadimai is also a part of a diverse range of projects.
“I participate in cross country, debate and community service clubs such as Curing the Future, ESL and Rays of Hope,” Paniadimai said.
Paniadimai uses a calendar to keep his schedule organized, but the same methods may not work for everyone. Varrier explained her approach.
“I try to manage my time well by completing easy tasks like homework at school. I don’t really do homework at home because I know I have to spend my time at home studying,” Varrier said. “It’s just about using the time you have at school efficiently because if you think about it, we’re here for eight hours: there is so much time to be productive.”
While OPHS students’ schedules are full of incredible projects, one thing is clear: it’s important to enjoy what you do. Whether it’s organizing service events, striving to win as a team or climbing through the ranks of a program, the drive to make change is the key to success. After all, it’s with this passion that students have transformed the school day. While six hours a day for five days a week may seem insignificant, it’s with this time that students have built the foundations for their lives to come.
