At graduation, honors cords are meant to represent achievement. They often recognize academic awards like a certain GPA, National Merit Finalist, NHS, and more. They are visible symbols of things a student has accomplished during high school. In reality, not all students are given equal opportunities to earn them, raising an important question: are honors cords truly fair?

Many honors cords are tied to specific programs, such as National Honor Society, a certain GPA level, National Merit Finalist, or others. While these accomplishments are meaningful, they don’t always reflect the full range of student success. Students who excel in areas like the arts, business, athletics, certain clubs, leadership, or personal growth may not receive the same recognition, even though their efforts require just as much discipline and commitment, such as training multiple hours a day, attending early morning or late night practices, competing on weekends, or taking on leadership roles that require organizing events and mentoring others.

In addition, access to some cord-earning opportunities can depend on factors like schedule flexibility or certain programs like Youth in Government. This means that equally hardworking students may be left out simply because they didn’t have the same access or guidance. When recognition is limited to certain pathways, it can unintentionally send the message that only specific types of achievement matter.

Honors cords should celebrate excellence, but excellence comes in many forms. A student balancing academics with a job, family responsibilities, or extracurricular commitments that are not part of Orono High School, but still demonstrates just as much perseverance as someone earning the best grades. If graduation is meant to celebrate all students, then recognition should be more inclusive of different kinds of success.

This doesn’t mean removing honors cords altogether. Instead, schools could expand what they recognize. Creating cords for a wider range of achievements, such as leadership, community service, fine arts, or resilience, would better reflect the diversity of students. Recognition should uplift students, not make others feel overlooked.

At the end of the day, honors cords are about more than just appearance; they represent a school’s values. If we want to celebrate students fairly, we need to ensure that recognition reflects all forms of hard work, not just a select few.