Who would have thought that the terms “coming down to the wire” and “trying to make
the final cut” would apply to anything but sports? When it comes to turning in service hours
on time, however, these terms are imperative.

Turning in service hour forms on time shouldn’t be another added burden to students whose lives are busy enough with school work and extracurricular activities.

I can say on a personal level that I have failed to make the final cut when turning in service hours. In a busy student’s life, it is hard enough to set aside the time to perform community service, let alone fill out the service forms, write the reflections, and remember to turn them in on time.

Outreach is very strict about service hour forms being in on time. Every service hour form for the entire summer was due on Sept. 30, which is a relatively generous amount of time. However, every other service hour form is due within a month of the time from when the service is completed.

This past spring I was unfortunate enough  not to realize the cut off for turning in service hour forms. Already having my 60 hours of required service, I decided to overachieve and try to make it into the Service Honor Society, which requires 100 total hours of service, 20 of which must be direct.

When turning in the completed forms that I  labored over,  Summer Programs and Outreach Coordinator Tony Martin informed me that I was too late. Politely but firmly he informed me that I was
past the one month deadline. I told him I wanted to make it into the service honor society and Martin said that if I could not get in any more service hours before they were needed for the Service Honor Society deadline, he would try to reconsider.

Why would any student want to recomplete service hours that were already done and should be given credit for? While I understand Martin’s argument that it keeps the flow of service forms more controlled, it’s not fair to rob a student of the credit they deserve.

I’m lucky that I did not need that service hour form to get my required 60 hours of service, but other students may not be so lucky.

Outreach should consider the vast responsibilities of students, especially seniors, and allow them more time to complete their service form. For the amount of time that students put into giving service, they should be rewarded with extended deadlines. Giving back to the community shouldn’t be a burden but rather something enjoyable and fulfilling. Students shouldn’t have to come down to the wire when turning in service hours.