Popular fund-raiser delivery in time to relieve students’ first semester exam stress before tests begin

By Beverly Jenkins
<[email protected]>

Each December and May, National Honor Society members distribute final exam survival kits (FESKs), and this December is no exception.

The main purpose of the kit is to alleviate stress from the students who feel the pressure of first semester final exams creeping up on them, according to Annie Wu, NHS president and senior.

The $5 fee covers the price for the goodies in the bag, which include standard pens, pencils and erasers that all students could use more of during the last and usually most stressful week of the semester, as well as other miscellaneous items.

NHS sponsor Deborah Haire said that the idea for the survival kit is actually not as unique to this school as some students might think. The idea did not originate here.

Instead, Haire said the idea to sell the kits came from following in the fund-raising footsteps of several well-known, public Indiana universities.

“Purdue and IU both sell FESKs, on a much larger scale than we do here. Students will bring in buckets of popcorn, candy and other things like that in order to lighten the depressing mood,” Haire said.

However, Haire said that NHS had to make adjustments in order to sell these kits at this school.

She said, “Obviously, parents probably wouldn’t approve of us giving candy to their kids during finals week, so we can’t do that, but we can provide other things.”

Wu also said she thinks that besides just creating a smaller version of what Indiana campuses like Indiana and Purdue Universities do, the idea to help out the students during the notoriously difficult final exam week was a considerate thing for NHS to provide.

“A lot of students are tired and stressed out during finals week,” she said. “So, we thought that FESKs would be a great way to remind students that the world isn’t coming to an end; someone out there is thinking of you during your finals week.”

Usually parents purchase a kit for their child, since the main advertisement is included in the thick, back-to-school packet that students receive in the late summer, but parents are not the only people who can purchase one.

Wu said anyone is allowed to purchase a survival kit for any student, and the sender can even add a personalized message and card for no extra charge with the kit. The option to leave a message is included with the main advertisement.

While the deadline to purchase a survival kit for this semester was two days ago, on Wednesday, NHS will already be taking orders for the spring semester exams. This deadline allowed NHS members exactly one week to prepare the ordered kits.

NHS members will deliver this semester’s kits on the first day of final exams during SRT on Dec. 17.

Wu said, “FESKs are a small, thoughtful way to say you understand a student is stressed out during finals week and you want to help.

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FINAL EXAMS

Wednesday, Dec. 17
Per. 5, 7, 8 Finals

Thursday, Dec. 18
Per. 1, 2 Finals

Friday, Dec. 19
Per. 3, 4 Finals

SKIP-A-FINAL RULES

No more than 2 absences per class (unless absences qualify as excused)

No more than 1 tardy (including excused tardies)

No more than 1 time of community service each semester

No out-of-class, in-school, or out-of-school suspensions

No 6-week grade less than a C- for ANY class during the semester

CHS WEB SITE / SOURCE