On the surface, student recognition programs at Diamond Bar High School might seem like impressive awards beyond the reach of ordinary high schoolers. However, as programs such as Students of the Month and Top 10 do not offer any substantial benefits to the student body, they prove to be of no prestige nor worth.

The primary goal of these programs is to motivate students to try their best to receive recognition for positive results. While the award may bring a fleeting moment of pleasant surprise, there are not many, if not any, high schoolers who actively work toward having their name announced on the DBHS website as one of the Students of the Month. The truth is simple: most of the school simply do not care about these initiatives, defeating their very purpose.

The recognition programs that exist at DBHS are not only rarely mentioned, they are not promoted as much as other school events such as spirit days or even boba sales. It seems that drinks and pajama days hold more worth on the DBHS campus than the title a high-achieving student holds, which is curious, but strangely expected, considering that DBHS is an academically competitive school.

Furthermore, the qualifications for these awards are too loosely defined for students to believe that their peers who are recognized truly deserve it, let alone recognize them as the top students of their class.

Students of the Month are chosen because they are “representative of the qualities [the GLCs] would like all Brahmas to display,” according to the DBHS website. Perhaps if the GLCs included a statement about what qualities each winner showed that made them stand out, students would understand why some of their peers receive the award and give the awards more prestige.

In addition, those chosen for Top 10 have to apply to be considered for the title. Since not everybody applies, at times less than 10 people, the students who are selected are not truly the 10 best-performing students in each class, which makes the title questionable. Being named as one of the top 10 students in the entire class does sound enticing, but what’s the point of being No. 10 if there is no No. 11?

Since students value just about anything else above the actual title, recognition programs can become more prestigious and popular by including better incentives such as scholarships or trips to Disneyland rather than merely a few seconds of spotlight in the school gym. By motivating more people to apply for the programs, they can become titles that students strive to receive.

While recognition programs do give students a chance to shine, Students of the Month and Top 10 are too vaguely defined for them to be prestigious awards that students will want to participate in.