Lily Peng

Though responsibilities pile up as we progress in high school, simply having fun should remain just as important as it was in our childhood.

Ring! Ring! Ring! The bell signals the end of yet another long and exhausting school day. Finally, I’m freed from class, but instead of relaxing or socializing with others, I immediately start worrying about my workload. As I repeat my daily routine of walking sluggishly to the library, I think back to my after-school experiences in lower school—when the highlight of my day was climbing play structures with my friends.

I’ve always wondered why playgrounds disappear from campuses after elementary school. 

In second grade, I attended an academic summer camp at Saratoga High School. Since high school campuses were so huge, I thought that the playground there would be even better than the ones we had at my elementary school. But when I excitedly ran outside during break, expecting a grand play structure, I was instead met with barren trees, metal benches and concrete. Shock and disappointment immediately filled me.

At the time, my only concern was not having a designated space to fool around with my friends. However, I now realize that the disappearance of playgrounds represents an underlying ideology that society forces upon students: Play belongs to childhood, while high school is solely meant for work and responsibilities. 

This idea is especially prevalent at Harker. Because of the high standards and huge emphasis on academic success, I often fall victim to the belief that leisure means laziness. That feeling of guilt pushes me to cram my free time with studying and homework to the point where even my weekends are filled to the brim with finishing assignments. 

On a particularly exhausting weekend this school year, I was walking at night around my neighborhood with my friends when we spontaneously decided to go to a park. As soon as we arrived, I saw the huge swings, slides and monkey bars, and all the stressful thoughts that had previously flooded my mind immediately disappeared. My friends and I screamed, laughed and chased each other, a wave of childhood joy washing away my worries about school and extracurriculars.

Though responsibilities pile up as we progress in high school, simply having fun should remain just as important as it was in our childhood. Even something as simple as spending time on a playground can remind us that moving forward, we should balance the constant flow of new assignments with moments of play and relaxation, no matter how brief they may be.