The lights dim in the high school auditorium. Norwin students walk purposefully to their seats, filling each row in alphabetical order. As the rows fill, their family members in the audience watch silently and attentively. There is anticipation in the air as the 2023 National Honor Society induction ceremony begins.
On Wednesday Nov. 15, Norwin’s branch of the National Honor Society (NHS) inducted 126 students in a candlelight ceremony held at 6:00 pm. Most of the students were sophomores, but there were also several juniors and a senior inducted.
The induction ceremony included an introductory procession and opening remarks, the lighting and explanation of the National Honor Society candles, the repeating of the National Honor Society oath by the inductees, a speech by keynote speaker Allison Fedorka, and the distribution of the inductees’ certificates. After the conclusion of the ceremony, light refreshments were offered in the Norwin cafeteria.
“The ceremony involves the lighting of 5 candles,” Mr. Paul Amic, the adviser for the Norwin branch of the National Honor Society, said. “The first is a white candle that represents the continual quest for knowledge of the current NHS students. The four remaining candles are blue and each one represents one of the requirements for membership: scholarship, character, leadership and service.”
This year the guest speaker at the ceremony was Allison Fedorka, former Norwin student and sister of Norwin high school English teacher Mrs. Leslie Kaminski, formerly Fedorka. She gave a speech about the pillars of the NHS and how those pillars have impacted her life and career.
“We usually try to choose a Norwin graduate who was a member of NHS and has had success and interesting experiences in their chosen field,” Amic said. “Ms. Fedorka has been extremely successful in her work with the Department of Homeland Security.”
According to the Norwin website’s page for the NHS, the National Honor Society is a club based on the principles of scholarship, leadership, service, and character.
Students inducted had to have been attending Norwin for at least two consecutive years. Meeting the requirement of scholarship requires ending the previous academic year with at least a 90% cumulative GPA. A grade in any class of 69% or less would disqualify a student.
Students filled out an application that included their leadership experience, community service hours, and an essay demonstrating exemplary character. Their essays were then reviewed by a committee of faculty and administration. Students who were not accepted will have the opportunity to reapply at the end of the school year. Those whose applications were accepted were notified through email.
“I felt very accomplished,” Sienna DeJesus, one of the inducted sophomores, said. “I felt like all of my hard work in freshman year had paid off, and I just was reveling in it. It was nice. It was wonderful.”
The Norwin website’s page for the NHS says that students in the club can be placed on academic probation for a school year due to a final grade below 69% in a class, a cumulative GPA below 90% at the end of the school year, being suspended for a disciplinary infraction, or not completing 15 hours of community service by the end of the school year.
The NHS will continue to be an active club at Norwin through the remainder of the school year. The club is involved in various school functions like the Snoball dance and also has ties to several community service opportunities. The club will also be partaking in a trip to Boston in the Spring.
The NHS induction ceremony marked a stepping stone for those inducted into the club. The ceremony is only the beginning of the students’ experiences with the NHS during their high school careers as they continue to participate in NHS activities.
“One of my favorite parts of NHS is being able to volunteer,” Megan Lovinfosse, junior and member of the NHS, said. “It gives people a chance to help out in their community and just kind of get out there and help people.”
