Opinion: Honor Roll Night - Fail or Fair?

This year's Honor Roll night program reflected a departure from previous years, which surprised many participants.

Initially, the night began like any other- the art showcase. Students, parents, and faculty walked around Great Neck Synagogue and viewed paintings, architecture, pottery, and fashion pieces. It makes for a great atmosphere of socializing, relaxation, and recognition for the creators behind the works of art. Following this, the choir gave a lovely performance, setting the stage for the rest of the night, and the beginning of the official ceremony.

The ceremony began with speeches by Benjamin Zareh and Maytal Atlas, and then the recognition of the Siyum Scholars: Talia Beck, Daren Benilevi, Jordana Bruckheimer, Hillel Cohen, Yoel Ebrani, Ethan Kohananoo, Joel Mordekhai, Moshe Ariel Nassimi, Eli Shaye, and Benjamin Zareh, and all of their hard work over the course of the year. Following this was a departure from the usual proceedings. Instead of calling each individual on the Principal's Honor Roll and handing them their certificates, students were asked to stand up and be recognized as a whole. While this approach certainly cut down on the length of the program, it surprised many students. Aliza Reiss, a current freshman, shared her thoughts on the night, saying, “It just really didn’t live up to the hype- why did I even bother all year?” Aliza nailed down a feeling that many students shared about the night- a general sense of disappointment that the group acknowledgements left students feeling their individual hard work was unrecognized.

On the other side of this argument, many students appreciated the faster program, because they had a long drive back and had to get to school on time the next day. Sophomore Jordana Bruckheimer notes that, saying, “I appreciated the administration’s concern for our time, but it definitely ended very abruptly.” Aviv Plaut added, “It was nice that it was faster, but it was too impersonal.” A fellow sophomore, Sofia Lopresti, had a more positive outlook, saying: “Although we weren’t individually recognized that night, it was still nice to spend time with friends.”

Overall, the ceremony was a distinct change from previous ceremonies, and though the speediness of the event was appreciated by many, many students missed the personal recognitions.