opinion 23
However, these examples have not been entirely effective. As of April, only 16% of NHS members had met their yearly activity requirement, and only 36% of SHS members wrote a letter, according to each society's respective hour count spreadsheets. While it is the job of society leadership to provide meaningful opportunities for community engagement to students, it is not their responsibility to make meeting requirements easy. At this point, too many students see honor societies as resume stuffers - a means to an end. Those who commit to the responsibilities of membership must maintain a self-motivated involvement with the organization by nature of their commitment. Regularly volunteering with partnering organizations, participating in more events than required, and attending all meetings are ways to demonstrate this dedication. Students who find that such opportunities are not accessible or have concerns about their relevance should reach out to society leadership in order to suggest change. Leadership can aid in this process by being more transparent about the behaviors that are unacceptable and by actively holding members accountable for their actions by enforcing dismissals and probation periods. Officers can encourage students to volunteer by seeking out or creating engaging activities that reflect their goals such as donation drives, virtual projects, and in- person service events. NHS President and dance senior Grace Handel believes that "a perfect situation would be if members didn't prioritize the number of hours they earned, but just participated in the events that spoke to them and let the hours fall after that." It will take pointed effort from both parties to rebuild the reputation of these organizations and establish the sanctity they were designed to have. Honor society officers and their members must begin to focus on the impact of the work they are doing rather than whether or not they are meeting a minimum requirement. If change is made to achieve this goal, the future of honor societies will be bright.
by Rachel Dippolito design by Yelaine Aguilar illustration by Yelaine Aguilar
However, these examples have not been entirely effective. As of April, only 16% of NHS members had met their yearly activity requirement, and only 36% of SHS members wrote a letter, according to each society's respective hour count spreadsheets. While it is the job of society leadership to provide meaningful opportunities for community engagement to students, it is not their responsibility to make meeting requirements easy. At this point, too many students see honor societies as resume stuffers - a means to an end. Those who commit to the responsibilities of membership must maintain a self-motivated involvement with the organization by nature of their commitment. Regularly volunteering with partnering organizations, participating in more events than required, and attending all meetings are ways to demonstrate this dedication. Students who find that such opportunities are not accessible or have concerns about their relevance should reach out to society leadership in order to suggest change. Leadership can aid in this process by being more transparent about the behaviors that are unacceptable and by actively holding members accountable for their actions by enforcing dismissals and probation periods. Officers can encourage students to volunteer by seeking out or creating engaging activities that reflect their goals such as donation drives, virtual projects, and in- person service events. NHS President and dance senior Grace Handel believes that "a perfect situation would be if members didn't prioritize the number of hours they earned, but just participated in the events that spoke to them and let the hours fall after that." It will take pointed effort from both parties to rebuild the reputation of these organizations and establish the sanctity they were designed to have. Honor society officers and their members must begin to focus on the impact of the work they are doing rather than whether or not they are meeting a minimum requirement. If change is made to achieve this goal, the future of honor societies will be bright.
by Rachel Dippolito design by Yelaine Aguilar illustration by Yelaine Aguilar
THERE IS MUCH LESS OF AN INCENTIVE TO PARTICIPATE BECAUSE THE IMPACT OF THESE HONOR SOCIETIES IS VERY INTANGIBLE
-Amanda Ferber
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