by Ziv Golan ‘26

The National Honors Society (NHS) is a staple of the high school experience for countless American students. The organization states its goals as fostering leadership skills among students and building a sense of community service in secondary schools. In theory this is a noble idea; however, in practice it has not panned out that way, specifically at Sherwood. NHS has become a resume builder that looks good to colleges, with students not really caring about the impact they can make through the organization. This, in part, is due to the large size of the Sherwood chapter, at 180 members. At Sherwood specifically, getting credits is viewed as a chore by students and the few credit opportunities each semester are packed to the brim, with many students unable to complete the activity.

An activity during the first semester to make cards for retirement home residents ended in chaos after a minimal number of envelopes were available, and many students were unable to write a card. Currently, students only need a 3.7 unweighted GPA, or 4.0 weighted, to be accepted into NHS, along with two teacher recommendations and a few short answer questions. Possible changes to raise selectivity could be to consider the students’ number of AP/Honors courses and their attendance. A more limited NHS would propel the Sherwood chapter to greater success.