On April 14, the new initiates from the class of 2018 and 2017 were inducted to the National Honor Society in a half-hour long ceremony at Cleveland. The induction was held in the library because of renovations to the auditorium.

The event began with opening remarks from NHS advisor Kathleen Fuller and Principal Tammy O’Neill.

“I’ve talked to a lot of kids, high school kids–I’ve served them for 18 years in my career–and I always say at the end of the day, all you have is your character. If you do the right thing when no one’s looking, it’s very difficult when peers around you maybe aren’t doing the right thing. All those really make up what it takes to be an outstanding leader and give back to our community,” said O’Neill in her speech.

The event continued with speeches from different students about the traits that define a member of NHS. The first was a speech about character from NHS Historian, Oscar Duyck. Duyck focused on the trait of character.

“Character, a trait that is infinitely defined, yet little understood. What is character? Some believe that character is doing the right thing when no one’s watching, or others believe that character is honesty, or self-sacrifice. Truthfully, character is a bit of a subjective quality, one which we see through our own personal lense,” said Duyck.

Next was a speech about leadership, from NHS president, Gabe Beck.

“NHS is what you make of it. Now, I know many of you are perfectly content to be part of NHS, by name only. By just meeting the volunteering and GPA requirements, you can stay with NHS all the way through senior year. There’s nothing wrong with this. However, I urge you to consider pursuing leadership and involvement in any way you can. No matter your strength or talent, NHS has a leadership position just for you,” said Beck.

Following Beck’s speech was one on the scholarship aspect of NHS, done by treasurers Nelea Chin and Maddy Louie.

“NHS students are dedicated to academic achievement and knowledge acquired through study. A characteristic of an NHS student is that they have the drive to continue to expand their knowledge in a world where opportunities are inherently scholarship,” said Chin.

The last speech on NHS traits was on Community Service. This speech was presented by NHS secretary Anna Rose, on behalf of NHS vice president Emily Diamond.

“There are not many instances in my life where I have felt that I have done something larger than myself. As extreme as it may sound, National Honor Society has helped me feel this emotion. This past year and a half I have participated in some of the most rewarding volunteer activities,” said Rose.

At this time, the new NHS members were called up one by one to receive a National Honor Society pin. This year, there were 111 new members joining NHS from the class of 2018, and 20 from the class of 2017. The event ended with a short song written and composed by musical guest Seth Prevatte.