When the National Honor Society induction takes place on March 26, the size of the incoming membership sets it apart from previous years, according to one of the faculty co-moderators.

Mr. Joshua Payne, German teacher and NHS faculty co-moderator, said, “We have had an incredible number. I think more than 180 students were eligible and applied. That says a lot about this class; they’re very academically oriented and high achieving.”

Mrs. Lisa Ford, math teacher and NHS faculty co-moderator, also shared her thoughts on the new group of members. She said, “I know that by and large the faculty feels very highly about them because the whole faculty votes. Their essays indicate that they are fine young men and women, and I’m looking forward to working with them next year.”

Payne said that to be eligible to join National Honor Society, a student must have a 3.6 cumulative GPA. He said, “The students who are academically eligible, we invite them to apply and they have to fill out an application, telling us about their service to the school that they’ve done their first two years, and then they have to have one or two people write a letter or recommendation for them.”

Ford described that while a 3.6 GPA constitutes the main requirement, a student must also have exhibited the four pillars on which NHS is based.

Payne said that these four pillars are scholarship, service, leadership and character. He also added that NHS students are at the top of their class in each of those four categories. “(NHS) is basically a service organization for our best students,” Payne said.

Maintaining this membership requires a great deal of effort on the student’s part. Once accepted, Ford and Payne both described that the main purpose of National Honor Society is to perform service to the school. Payne said that members of NHS must earn 10 service points over the course of their junior and senior years after they’re inducted. Payne said, “Tutoring is our biggest mission, our biggest purpose.”

Ford also added, “We provide tutoring every period of the day, before school and after school. We also provide specialized Algebra I and Spanish tutoring. We do all kinds of other service, too, but that’s our main function.”

However, tutoring is not the only service NHS members offer. Payne said, “They also work at Open House, they work at Shamrauction, they help with Baccalaureate and graduation. It’s all about serving the school at some capacity.”

Senior Rachel Kent, who is a current member of National Honor Society said that one of her favorite parts of NHS involves service. “One of the coolest things about NHS is the fact that while initially joining is based primarily on academic performance, officially receiving your cords at graduation relies on completion of service,” Kent said. She added, “It’s awesome that NHS values and promotes service so much.”

Junior Annie Bingle, who will be inducted on Sunday, said, “I am super excited to be part of NHS to help tutor underclassmen and to better myself academically.” Bingle also said that one of the main reasons she applied was because it was a great academic achievement to list on her college application.

Payne would agree, saying that being a member of NHS it something that stands out to colleges. He said, “It says (to colleges) that this student goes above and beyond expectations.”