On Tuesday May 10th, Malden High School’s National Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony in the Jenkins Auditorium. Both returning and new inductees as well as departing seniors were honored at the ceremony while parents, friends, teachers and even the mayor came to watch. Each senior gave a brief tribute to someone who had inspired or moved them during the high school career. After the ceremony, people went to the cafeteria, where light foods and beverages were served and poster boards from service projects were presented.
The National Honor Society, established in 1921, recognizes high school students who demonstrate excellence in leadership, character, service and academics. Its advisor is math and computer science teacher Paul Marques. He explains that members of NHS must have “an 88 or higher weighted average. AP classes can increase a person’s average by 10 points, and honors classes can increase it by 5 points. Applications can be given out or students can sign up outside of [Marques[ room in the fall.” On the application, students fill out what they do in school, out of school and for the community and members are selected by how well they represent the four main qualities.
NHS runs several events in and out of school throughout the school year. Marques claims that “[NHS] runs Spirit Week in the fall. During this past holiday season, [members] raised $10,000 for the homeless families of Malden and bought them clothes, toys, gift certificates and more” However, the Society twists this up in the spring; rather than doing service projects altogether, each member is responsible for an individual service project. Marques explains that members “reach out to the community and other members to pitch their ideas. Projects can be in or out of school or within a community or church.” Some past service projects include the Computer Club, Red Cross Club, Battle of the Bands and Singing For Soldiers. Other members taught science at some of the middle schools on Fridays for six weeks and raise over $500 for cancer.
Each year, the Induction ceremony welcomes the new inductees by giving them a copy of “How to Win Friends and Influence People: by Dale Carnegie, as well as a t-shirt. The departing seniors receive an award for their membership and a copy of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss. 36 seniors will be leaving NHS this school year while there are 19 juniors and 6 sophomores.
For the future of NHS, Marques hopes to do “bigger and better service projects that will not only benefit the school or a specific community, but the entire city of Malden.
