New CTSO club regulations close FBLA and HOSA
Starting next year, the clubs Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) will no longer be clubs tied to their affiliated national organizations on campus.
Both HOSA and FBLA are career and technical service organizations (CTSO). The state of California has made it a requirement that all CTSO club members must take at least one career technical education (CTE) class to be eligible for competitions provided by their respective organizations.
Nick Colangelo, Career Education Coordinator, believes NPHS is in better shape than most schools affected by the regulation. “In order to have CTE classes, we have to have certified teachers, and here at NPHS we have about six.” Colangelo said. According to Colangelo, it does not matter what CTE class you take for the requirement. At NPHS, some of the CTE classes offered include: Woodshop, Broadcasting, Advanced Digital Production, Food and Nutrition, Medical Terminology, and Sports Medicine.
Maya Ganham, junior and co-president of HOSA, became frustrated after hearing the news. “These career tech classes that you have to take, are pretty much roadblocks to go to the conference,” Ganham said. Seeing that this regulation stars next year, most club members will not get a chance to take these classes. “We have 45 members in our club and only one of them has taken medical terminology.”
While HOSA will still be a club on campus, members will no longer be able to participate in conferences or competitions. For FBLA, students attend sectional, state, and national competitions that range from Healthcare administration to Sport and Entertainment Management. HOSA has more than 50 events during their competitions. “There are knowledge written tests, reenactments of medical situations, group work, debates,and leadership events,” Ganham said. The club will continue to offer medical community service opportunities, internships and presentations.
Unlike HOSA, FBLA is centered around the conferences students attend, so the club will no longer be active on-campus next year.
Varna Kanapuram, sophomore, did not think it was fair to place a regulation most schools cannot meet. “When I first heard about the new regulations, I was pretty annoyed with the whole situation. FBLA has played just a big role in my life. I have been able to run for officer positions and compete in so many competitions,” Kanapuram said.
Brian Xi, senior and President of FBLA, thinks that it is unfortunate that many members like Kanapuram will not be able to continue their FBLA experience. He explains that although the situation is very unfortunate, “there is no real way for us to circumvent (the regulation), so we have been forced to shut down.”
NPHS is not the only school affected by this regulation. Westlake High School, one of the biggest FBLA clubs in the area, will also be forced to shut down.
“FBLA just provided so many opportunities to thrive as a student, and with it gone it does not necessarily mean it is the end of all of that, but it is kind of one less way you will be able to show all of the skills you have developed throughout high school,” Kanapuram said.
While FBLA and HOSA will no longer be a part of their respective organizations, HOSA will still provide resources for students interested in the medical field, and to continue the FBLA legacy, Xi explains that business related clubs could be a viable option for next year.
