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Morton East clubs going out more
Here at Morton East, there are over 40 clubs, but only a handful of them regularly go on club field trips. Some of the clubs that do engage in field trips are S.H.A.R.K Club, Adventure Club, Dreamers and Allies, and Otaku Club. According to a survey conducted at Morton East, with a sample size of over 100 students, more than half of the respondents stated that they actively participate in club field trips, rather than simply being club members and attending meetings.
According to neamb.com, “Facts About Club Field Trips and Their Planning,” planning a field trip is a significant undertaking that involves paperwork, selecting the appropriate location, and waiting for the trip to gain approval. Field trips provide students with the opportunity to learn in a different environment and experience things firsthand.
It’s important to note that club field trips don’t necessarily require leaving the school premises. They can also involve activities within the school building or gathering at a designated location within the school.
“A field trip I really enjoyed was the Snowball Retreat. I was initially skeptical because it involved sharing feelings, which made me uncomfortable at first. However, the experience was incredibly positive. I had the chance to meet new people and create wonderful memories,” Senior Zuleika Avitia said
Students may experience anxiety before a field trip, fearing that something might go wrong or feeling uncomfortable. However, once they embark on the journey, these anxieties often dissipate, revealing that there was nothing to be nervous about in the first place.
“As part of Otaku Club, one of the first field trips that the club went to was to Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights. It’s like a Japanese supermarket with a bookstore and a food court. I only felt nervous about how I would react to the experience because that was my first club field trip. There were many thoughts going around in my mind, but they all dispelled when I entered the store. The bookstore was my favorite part of the trip as I was able to buy some books for my collection. Trying the food and looking at the various items just made me wish that I had known about this place earlier,” Christian Miranada Canchola said.
Visiting unfamiliar places can be intimidating, particularly when there are specific dress code requirements for said field trip.
“A field trip that I felt nervous on going was when I was in Adventure club when we went to go and clean the river, but it was really just the forest I was nervous because I didn’t know whether to bring my little backpack or to leave it at home or what type of clothes to wear, but after getting there and actually starting to clean up all of that didn’t matter because no one was really paying attention to you except the people supervising and making sure that all the other students were there. By the time we were done with the cleaning we went back to where we were dropped off once everyone got there we had a little barbeque and played games,” senior Esperanza Pinon said.
While fretting about dress codes may seem tedious, it all becomes insignificant when the field trip involves traveling a specific distance, staying overnight, engaging in activities like camping or rock climbing, or participating in events like protests.
“It was last year when I went to the capital of Springfield to talk to legislative to accept a bill and I was nervous because I was protesting. I was protesting for money for schools for government to give schools more money, for the schools to have better resource to help in what public schools lacks in that of when looking and comparing to rich schools. I went with Mrs. Gonzales and a couple of students that came along,” senior Emeli Salinas Leanos said.
