Society is all about contribution. By gaining community service hours, Coronado students were once an exceptional part of the community. The original 120 community service requirement for graduation is something that should still be reinforced and considered necessary to graduate. Coronado is well-known for its great academics, fine arts, and exemplary graduation rate because of the strict graduation requirements.

The 120 hours of community service was a reasonable necessity. It was still implemented when the class of 2020 started high school as freshmen, meaning all that students had to do was get 30 hours a year for four years. Some argue that it was too much and that they had no time to gain these hours. However, a school year is plenty of time, and in fact, plenty of students acquire more than 120 hours.

Community service is not solely limited to outside of school, either. Many in-school organizations offer community service opportunities. The Student Council is constantly giving chances to be an active member of the community, such as assisting during campus cleanups and blood drives. Some organizations and clubs also require volunteer hours to join and remain a member, such as the National Honor Society and CHS Change. Many teachers also award community service by helping them organize their classrooms throughout the year.

The school’s old policy was also very beneficial to students. For those working toward getting accepted to the university of their choice or wanting to apply for a job, the 120 hours show hard work and make them more appealing. Most colleges require a certain amount of community service. Though it is no longer a requirement, many students continue to obtain the hours and those students receive a cord when they walk for graduation.

“I think it was good idea for the school to require the community service hours to graduate,” said senior Conner Fraker. “Even though they don’t require it anymore, it really pushed me to be an better candidate for colleges.”

The community service hours provide students with many advantages as they near the end of their high school years and enter the next chapter of their lives. Not only does it give students an edge when applying for school or a job, but it teaches hard work and charity, which is why it should still be implemented.