JC’s missing link in the Friends of Rachel chain reaction is the club itself.

Sept. 10 was a multifaceted day. It was an early dismissal, we didn’t have any classes, and the weather was beautiful.  Overall, it was a great day for everyone.  Everyone but those in the student leadership groups, that is. We were stuck in the Brown Room.

That morning, the entire school was presented with the Rachel’s Challenge assembly, which was well-received.  From looking at the crowd of students signing the posters that read, “I will start a chain reaction,” it seemed as though the students were ready to do exactly that. There was an air of acceptance in the hallways after the assembly.

Unfortunately, that air quickly turned stale when the members of NHS, Student-Athlete Leadership Group, and Student Affairs Council realized that we’d have to stay after school for an extra two hours to discuss plans for starting our own chain reaction group.

The idea of starting such a group at our school seemed like a necessary and important asset to our school.  No one can walk down the hallways without hearing plenty of unnecessary drama, and the student response toward the first assembly made it seem as though Rachel’s Challenge could make an impact on that.

And maybe it could have worked, if someone had taken initiative to lead the group at our school.  Maybe the students expected a teacher to step it up, and maybe the teachers hoped for a student to lead it.  After all, the club consisted of members of various leadership groups.

Unfortunately, the people who were picked for the group were the ones who were already involved in multiple after-school activities.  They weren’t picked for the other leadership groups for just sitting in the back corner of the room.  They are the students who are known to step forward and take charge. Other students not in those leadership groups weren’t even given the chance to step up or listen in.

The school’s student leaders are so heavily involved in the school that it seems unfair to give them the burden of yet another club—the Friends of Rachel.  There’s just not enough time in the day to be a part of every single club.  Expecting these students to start up another club seems a little unfair.

The ideals and even the support behind the FOR club are there, but it seems that the organization of putting it all together wasn’t. If a club like this is going to succeed, it’s going to need the whole-hearted support and dedication of students who feel passionate about following in Rachel’s footsteps, rather than those are already stretched out thin among many other very involved clubs.