Students at Crystal Lake South looking to get involved have a wide variety of options. Being involved in extracurriculars is one of the most rewarding things a high school student can do, but it can be hard to decide which clubs to join. Each month, I write an Activity Spotlight to give you more details about the activities available, so that you’ll have all of the information you need when deciding how to spend your time outside of school. The September Activity Spotlight highlighted our Robotics Team, its first competition coming up on November 13th, and CLS Soundcheck, which has continued to meet every Monday after school to discuss new albums. If you want to learn more about those clubs, check out that article and contact the listed sponsors for more information. In October, I chose two different clubs to research, and here is what I found.

For starters, Gator Buddies is hosting events and activities and is also welcoming new members. This club promotes inclusion, kindness, and provides a unique opportunity for friendship. Through this club, you get opportunities to meet and form relationships with students with disabilities who are in the FLS program here at South. Members of Gator Buddies go into FLS classrooms to play games, help with tasks, and participate in other activities with them, such as PE or after-school events. One such event was the Gator Buddies soccer game, hosted in mid-October by Cary Grove High School. I had the opportunity to attend the game and play alongside some of the students, laughing and having a great time, and it was a lot of fun. The best way to find out more about this club is to attend a meeting, which are on Friday mornings at 7 in D2. If you have any questions, contact the student officers, Meg Norten and Ethen Schock, or the club sponsor, Mrs. Eriksen.

Another extracurricular available to students at South is the Speech Team. Team members go to competitions from November to February at schools in the area and compete in many different events. There are limited-prep events, such as Impromptu Speaking, in which participants are given two minutes to plan and then deliver a six-minute speech. There are original prep events, such as Informative Speaking, in which participants write, practice, and deliver a speech that aims to inform their audience about something. There are other prep events, such as Oratorical Declamation, in which speakers deliver a published speech written by another person as their own. There are acting events, such as Humorous Duet Acting, in which two participants edit and act out a humorous, pre-made script. The variety of events means there’s something for everyone to enjoy, and being a part of the team means joining a community of people who have lots to talk about. Since I first joined, the Speech Team has more than doubled in size, and all of these members, new and old, are excited for the first meet on November 6th. If you have any questions about Speech Team, feel free to contact Ms. Baker or Mrs. Fleter.

This month, I found that both Gator Buddies and Speech Team are activities that students enjoy, and are great options for students looking to get involved. These clubs are just two of many extracurriculars available to students at South; so, if you’re looking for more options, check out the CLS Student Hub Canvas page for a list of all of South’s activities, or watch out for next month’s activity spotlight.