The official National Honor Society website boasts that members must uphold the following qualities: scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. The only way a student can get into Madison High School’s National Honor Society, however, is with a 4.0 GPA and 25 hours of community service, which, combined with MHS’s Day of Service, is fairly easy to attain over the course of a few weeks. It doesn’t matter if a student spends 600 hours a year volunteering at the soup kitchen, is president of the class, and is involved in Madison’s government. 4.0 GPA or nothing.
The National Honor Society, from a member’s perspective, has been an uncomfortable topic among students. In previous years, the GPA requirement was a 3.75. Last year, when the first announcements were made about meetings for perspective members, suddenly everyone knew exactly who had above a 3.75, and possibly worse, exactly who had below a 3.75. It would be extremely controversial if class ranks were made public information, but making it painfully obvious who has a 3.75 and who doesn’t seems just as bizarre. I was lucky enough to “make the cut” last year with above a 3.75, but if I’m being honest, I would not have made the 4.0 cut this year. Being in this position, I feel I have the perspective of both students, the one who takes pride in being a member, as well as the one who “isn’t good enough.”
There are a few problems that I have with the National Honor Society. Firstly, if the group is only going to accept students with a certain GPA and not take anything else into consideration, then they shouldn’t claim that students need be “leaders” or “committed to service” when frankly, they don’t need to be leaders or committed to service. A student may not be able to commit all their time to school if they are spending hundreds of hours a year volunteering. This person certainly upholds the qualities of a leader and someone committed to service, but perhaps not those of a scholar. Why should being a scholar hold more weight than anything else?
The move from a 3.75 to a 4.0 GPA requirement is up to each individual school, and while I will refrain from criticizing this move specifically, I can say that it knocks out very smart and qualified kids from being part of the National Honor Society. Last year, when I received my letter offering me the opportunity to apply, I was very proud of my academic achievements. This year, when I realized that if I applied now I would not have the GPA requirement, I felt inferior and even a little bit dumb. I was good enough last year, but I would not be good enough this year.
Since I am already a member, and I have not broken any conduct rules, I can’t be kicked out of the National Honor Society for failing to meet current requirements. But realizing I no longer fit the expectations of a prospective member, I no longer feel like I am worthy of membership. Is this group, a celebration of not the best and brightest but the kids with the highest grade point averages, positive reinforcement or just a reminder to the rest of the students that grades trump character?
Sources:
http://www.nhs.us/Membership.aspx
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Becca Johnson • Dec 11, 2013 at 2:19 pm
I was upset when I learned that NHS changed the GPA requirement so drastically. It does not seem fair that for years the requirement has been a 3.75, and suddenly becomes a 4.0 for the Class of 2015. Really disappointed with this decision.