Dark. Moist. Alone. For hours. For 58 hours. A student on a group trip with Indiana University, Lukas Cavar, according to The New York Time's article entitled "Student Trapped in Indiana Cave...," spent those hours contemplating his future after losing contact with his college group. Trips such as these are so important, but one must consider at what point does the trips lose their value. Despite an occasional horror story, though, extracurricular activities should be an option for all students.
According to Jess Deli, central region coordinator with the National Cave Rescue Commission, "she could not comment about what happened to Mr. Cavar but said in general, caving is safe and there are 'very few' rescues that happen across the nation." This trip should not be the standard by which future trips are measured, for as Deli notes, the percentage of such successful excursions are positive.
As a sponsor of a various extracurricular groups during my 27 years of teaching, I strongly support the value of being involved in activities outside the classroom, as they encourage friendships and help develop leadership skills. Even now, I continue to be active in groups outside my job, including the Arkansas Reading Association and Arkansas Teachers for National Board Certification, both of which I hold a board position. Through these I have met and worked with some tremendous leaders across our state.
For these reasons, students should push themselves to join a group that will further develop their leadership potential, resulting in opportunities for personal growth and possibly even financial gain via scholarships. While some might consider this a trivial matter, the positives so far outweigh the negatives.
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