Across the board, club leaders at Branson have noticed engagement falling for the past year. Of 26 club leaders surveyed, 80.7 percent believe club engagement is a problem at Branson. Even the Blazer hasn’t been immune; the number of new photographers was fewer than in previous years. One public facing club, Girls A Cappella, had to meet with Dean of Student Life Whitney Livermore to discuss the lack of engagement. The problem is clear, but the question is, what exactly has caused this decline in engagement?

Academic performance dominates students’ priorities, and clubs are often seen as only worthwhile as a leadership position on students’ resumes. Many students now see clubs and affinity blocks as important for completing homework or studying for tests, while attending clubs and affinities feel like splurges they can’t afford. College admissions pressure has led students to value the status on paper that club and affinity leadership brings. Simply attending a club or affinity due to interest in a subject area and the search for connection with peers outside of class time is no longer seen as a good enough reason to show up.

Yet, studying for difficult tests or having things to put on college applications are concerns unique to upperclassmen. When it comes to sophomores and freshmen, club and affinity time is more commonly seen as free time.

In previous years, freshmen and sophomores would flock to clubs across campus to explore new subjects and meet new people. Now, the Commons is packed with underclassmen hanging out, while club and affinity meetings have become sparse. Snacks at meetings used to get students to show up, but now the tactic seems ineffective.

A Capella leaders pointed to Tara Curtin ’24’s strong leadership as driving attendance when they were underclassmen. The respect she commanded compelled students to show up to meetings, lest they let her and the club down. Is the newfound lack of engagement due to an overall decline in the respect commanded in the relationship between upperclassmen and underclassmen?

Clubs and affinities offer a way for underclassmen and upperclassmen to get to know each other, since they don’t normally share classes. Unfortunately, it seems that this connection has lost value for upperclassmen and underclassmen alike — for many upperclassmen, stress over college and academics has prompted them to spend more time on schoolwork, and for underclassmen, the allure of having relationships with older classmates and earning their place among a club has faded.

So what is the solution? Branson clearly needs more dialogue between underclassmen and upperclassmen. Upperclassmen should serve as role models and underclassmen should lean into that mentorship. Some attempts by the administration to renew connections have taken a step in the right direction: buddy advisories or breakout groups during special events. But in order to refresh the dialogue, sustained interaction between under and upperclassmen is needed.

Solutions should focus on cross-grade communication. Bringing back blue vs. green games in assembly or at lunch could bring grades together through competition, and hosting regular buddy advisory events would increase community among grades. The increased camaraderie between the upperclassmen and underclassmen would then in turn boost club engagement. The Tara Curtin effect on clubs relied on mentorship, so rebuilding that mentorship is the clearest path to increasing club engagement at Branson.