A well-deserved second chance for NHS applicants

Madison Wendt, Student Life Editor
November 2, 2011
Filed under Editorials, Opinion

We at The Comet believe that the administration and National Honors Society sponsor Jill Stevenson have made the right decision in permitting students to re-apply for NHS during the second semester.

First and foremost, membership in NHS, while an honor, is also a benefit to the students selected. Since the Chanute High School motto is “Every Student, Every Day,” to reject students with excellent grades who devote most of their time to the school and to extracurricular activities is outrageous. This is especially true since the NHS constitution states that there is no limit to the number of yearly inductees.

While some exclusivity is necessary to preserve the prestigious aspect of such an honor. This should not result in the omission of some of CHS’s best students from the society.

The only thing accomplished by the exclusion of said students from NHS, especially those in the top ten percent of their classes who are very active within our school, is to harm exceptional students’ chances to compete for scholarships and college acceptance with students across the world.

Inclusion in NHS (or lack thereof) could potentially make or break a student’s acceptance into top universities. Excellent students with the prestigious honor on their resumes have a definite edge over equally excellent students without the award, because obvious questions about the character of the student would arise, however unfounded those concerns might actually be.

Additionally, students may not have the opportunity to do individual community service projects outside of school. A student who is very involved in activities at CHS may not have the time to seek those projects out. This is why clubs are so essential to the development of a well-rounded student — they provide service opportunities for students who otherwise would not have them.

Therefore, student involvement in co- and extra-curricular clubs and organizations within Chanute High School should not be undervalued as a source of community service.

Due to the hullabaloo surrounding admitted and rejected students, the decision to accept spring applications will restore student and faculty confidence in the honor of the society. We applaud their willingness to re-evaluate applicants and to give students the opportunity to include this prestigious honor on their college applications.

However, due to the controversial nature of the last induction, we suggest that the selection process be seriously re-examined and reconsidered to ensure that fair, unbiased review of the students is always the standard.