New National Honor Society members were inducted into the organization last night in the auditorium. The ceremony began with senior Heavyn Carter singing the national anthem and inductees reciting the pledge of allegiance.
“The induction ceremony is something that is more of a sentimental moment for the inductees and also the officers who work hard all year,” vice president Jada Cano said. “Parents get to see their kids working so hard, and it’s just something nice to appreciate these students.”
NHS is a national organization that high school juniors and seniors can apply for. In order to be a member, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher and demonstrate all four pillars of NHS. Once inducted, members are required to do 15 hours of community service per semester.
“[NHS] is an organization that promotes community service and leadership throughout our community and our school,” chapter member Sydney Rakowitz said. “I think it’s an important aspect to learn. It’s really important for high schoolers to have community service experience.”
At the ceremony, each pillar (scholarship, character, leadership and service) was introduced through a speech by the officers and a candle was lit. Following the candle lightings, guest speakers, including math teacher Richard Chouinard and principal Stacia Snyder, spoke about the hard work and dedication these students have put in to become members.
“NHS highlights those individuals who achieve high academic scholarship in high school,” Cano said. “Since there are so many different activities to do and clubs to be in, it’s hard to dedicate time just for academics.”
Rakowitz remembers the honor she felt at her induction last year and wants new members to take it seriously.
“It’s a great honor to be inducted into NHS, so don’t ruin it,” Rakowitz said. “[When I got inducted] it was a really cool experience and it didn’t seem like just another club I was joining. It felt like I was joining an actual organization that was serious and important.”
