High school juniors work extremely hard--in the short window they are given--to complete an application that would showcase their level of success. One would like to assume that these hard-working individuals would deserve benefits to display their dedication to academics. However, this is not the case.
Filling out a National Honor Society Application is a lengthy and exhausting process. Listing clubs, in/out of school activities, and various non-paid service hours from the past years can become very repetitive. Chasing down signatures is a whole other story.
After completing the stack of papers one refers to as an application, students wait to receive word that they made it into the Society via letter. Numerous students receive the positive letter of, “Yes, you made it!” However, some receive the opposite.
Getting cut from anything sucks.
After all that hard work, just to be denied? The only perk you truly miss out on is the NHS parking lot, which I will admit, is nice on rainy days.
When obtaining the prestigious honor of getting into the Society, you sit for a brutally long ceremony listening to staff talk (about all the good things, which is appreciated), a baby cry once in a while, and the scattering thoughts of, did I wear the right shoes? Will I fall on stage? Is this over yet?
Walking onto the stage, your wait is finally over. You quickly write your name in the book and it looks like chicken-scratch from the impact of nerves. Next, comes the fear of the candle you have to hold potentially lighting you on fire. Jokes from your peers and friends do not help either.
And finally, the ceremony is over.
Dreams of rewards for your hard work and dedication cloud your prior nerves. You’re relieved, overwhelmed, and overjoyed to receive your NHS card that grants you the world.
Ha, not.
The flimsy piece of “cardboard”, also known as your NHS pass, was used as a hall pass, a bathroom pass, even a pass to the library to get out of the room during study halls. Now, some of those uses are revoked. Bathroom passes are now mandatory in each class and you can no longer use your NHS pass.
But of course we still have our precious NHS parking lot, that doesn’t accommodate for everyone and is not clearly labeled on our parking passes, but who cares anyways?
Of course we can be content knowing our hard work will pay off, preparing us for college and aid in the receival of “You have been accepted to…” letters. Even so, the lack of recognition pulls away at the feelings of accomplishment and the possibility of losing drive and focus rises.
Way back when, I remember being told to laminate my NHS card. To keep it safe since I should always have it on me. Then the false hope of feeling important was washed away once I realized how little the card actually does for me.
Laminating an NHS card is a waste of time, since it’s a waste of paper anyways.