In an effort to make the Jones National Honors Society more equitable to all students and stand out from other schools, the NHS application to get has undergone numerous changes this year.
Previously, NHS was something students only thought of as an activity to check off on their way to college and not really think much about it.
“Last year, it wasn’t really much of an application,” Emet Shifrin ‘24, one of two student leaders of NHS, said. “It was kind of known if you had the hours and the GPA you would get in.”
In an effort to both build a community within NHS and make it more accessible to students, the two elected NHS presidents, Emet Shifrin and the other co-president, came up with this change and proposed it to the other 6 board members.
At the time, NHS did not have a sponsor because the previous sponsor had stepped down and the spot had yet to be filled
The board members then made a unanimous decision on their own to alter NHS closer to its core values. In doing so, they were able to begin implementing these new changes before Ms. Lund and Ms. Brian, the two new sponsors, took position.
For members previously in the club, they have to obtain 15 service hours, differing from the enrollment requirement of 20 last year, and write a paragraph summarizing why they should be in NHS and how they would embody the four pillars: character, leadership, service, and scholarship.
On the other hand, rising juniors or seniors that were not a part of NHS last year need 15 hours of service. Previously the qualifications were 24 for rising seniors and 10 for juniors, and write three paragraphs. One paragraph about character, one about leadership, and one paragraph about either service or scholarship.
“There were three problems with the previous application. I thought it was inequitable, it wasn’t accessible, and it wasn’t representative of the core values… We wanted to expand it so more people could apply but also make sure it’s honorable” Shifrin said.
The GPA requirement was also altered for all potential or current members. They lowered the necessary GPA from a 3.6 to a 3.4 in an effort to accommodate more students.
Additionally, the presidents hope to put forth more effort to actually exemplify the four core values through NHS sponsored events, giving shout outs to people exceeding expectations, and partnering up with other clubs within Jones to host events.
As a result of all these changes, a sense of relief is felt by many Jones students as the more accommodating requirements is easier to achieve and obtain.
“The 15 service hours are definitely better because it’s easier to accommodate a high schooler’s schedule. And I think the process, while it was not enjoyable, overall, was good and necessary in order to create the environment NHS is looking for,” Lily Block ‘25, a hopeful new member of NHS, said.
The NHS process also inflicted feelings of enthusiasm among applicants about potentialy participating in NHS and all their events.
“At first I only applied to NHS as a way to check off a box for college, but now after hearing more about NHS and it’s community, I’m really excited to hopefully be apart of it,” said Claudia Walvoord ‘25, a possible new member of NHS.
