NHS Dinner
By: Aiden Dickerson
April has been an exciting month for the honors students of St. Joe’s, as in the middle of a very eventful month, the annual SJCI NHS Induction Dinner was held. This dinner saw the celebration of the induction of many juniors into the Brother Alexander Chapter of the National Honors Society, as well as the presentation of graduation stoles to seniors already in the NHS. The festivities, on top of an excellent speech given by St. Joe’s alumnus Dr. Ryan Campagna ‘06, made the night one to remember for all who attended.
The venue for this special event was Salvatore’s Italian Gardens, a highly esteemed restaurant on Transit Road just outside of Lancaster, where students and their families were treated to a buffet dinner and dessert. Before the dinner, a candle ceremony took place, with the officers of NHS, seniors John Gramza, Chris DePinto, James O’Neil, and Kyle Schneggenburger welcoming all who attended to Salvaore’s, and gave opening remarks regarding what the NHS is and the four pillars all NHS members stand upon: scholarship, leadership, character, and service. All four officers, and especially NHS moderator Mr. Lomeo worked really hard to ensure the NHS induction dinner was the best it could possibly be, in which they succeeded with certainty. In an interview before the dinner, Chris Depinto, Vice President of NHS, gave great thanks to Mr. Lomeo, saying he worked really hard on planning the dinner, and that he is the best moderator the NHS could ask for.
The highlight of the night was by far the induction and stole ceremonies, however many students noted the wise words of Dr. Campagna in his ceremonial speech before the dinner as an inspiration to their future pursuits of knowledge, no matter what college they choose to go to. “Dr. Campagna did a great job,” said senior John Gramza, President of NHS, “he imparted some nice wisdom on us, especially that it doesn’t really take going to a fancy college or undergrad to be successful, … motivation will take you anywhere.”
The induction and stole ceremonies were an amazing moment for all who participated as well, as they received membership into the largest society of honors students in the country, and received their graduation stoles if the student in question is a senior. The induction ceremony took place first, with a multitude of students receiving the right to join NHS, the majority being juniors. In fact, this year was statistically the most successful in terms of the number of students who received the NHS induction, with moderator of NHS, Mr. Lomeo, saying that 72 juniors, and 6 seniors, received the honor, the most in recent history.
Most juniors who got inducted to NHS noted that their membership would be a great thing to put on college applications, and would help them with any personal goals they may have in the realm of academia. Newly inducted junior Johnathan Samol shared his thoughts about his induction before the ceremony saying, “I think it’s going to be really good to put on a resume for college, and it's a good motivation to keep my grades up.” Many students were also excited for the induction for the amazing dinner that came along with it as well, as Samol noted before the dinner, “banquets are always fun … I am excited for it!”
Overall, however, the fact that these juniors were even being inducted into the NHS in the first place was the biggest reason they were excited to go, seeing the great honor that comes with membership in the society. Junior Daniel Roehmholdt emphasized this before the dinner by saying “I think it’s an honor to be inducted into the National Honors Society, I have been wanting to become a member since freshman year.”
With their induction, new juniors are also expected to adhere to the high standards kept by the NHS, not just in academics, but in service as well. Academic achievement is only one of the four qualities that an NHS member must exhibit, the other three being leadership, character, and most important of all, service. St. Joe’s students who are in the NHS are expected to complete 15 service hours in addition to the 20 required hours for all students, however, even with this new responsibility, the new NHS members welcomed the service with open arms. Daniel Roehmholdt sees this not as a hindrance, but as an opportunity to do more service for his community, saying, “I have been volunteering at different places for my regular service hours, but doing 15 more hours will allow me to get involved in other service opportunities.” Samol concurs with Roehmholdt, saying “I think it’s a little bit of an extra challenge, but I don’t think it will be a problem.”
After the induction ceremony for newly inducted juniors and seniors, the guests delighted in a wonderful meal provided by the great chefs and waiters at Salvatore’s, and after the dinner concluded, the stole ceremony for NHS seniors took place. The stole itself is worn with the senior’s cap and gown for their graduation later in the year, and symbolizes the four pillars of the NHS, and the NHS itself, as a major part of their experience at St. Joe’s. “It’s a great way to recognize people who work hard all the time at Joe’s,” said senior Chris DePinto when commenting about the stole and the NHS, “NHS gives students the opportunity to not only be recognized, but also the opportunity to go do extra community service, and be leaders not just inside of school, but outside of school.”
So, with all of this excitement surrounding the NHS, current freshmen and sophomores may be wondering how exactly one joins the society. There is a general academic requirement for being considered for a spot in the NHS; a student must have an overall average of about 93 in their classes throughout their first two years, although this number is not strict or ridgid. If a student is judged as worthy of a nomination to the NHS, the moderator of NHS at St. Joe’s will email the student in the second semester of their junior year about applying to the NHS, which involves writing essays, and is purely voluntary. Mrs. Kaczmarek, a former moderator of NHS, notes that “after the first semester of their junior year, the admissions will give the moderators a list of all students who would be able to apply for the NHS, and then they are invited to join through an invitation.”
Academic achievement is not the only thing that gets considered in sending out invitations to potential NHS members; however, in accordance with the pillars of the NHS, academia is only one part of a greater whole. As Mrs. Kaczmarek puts it, “the administration also checks to see if a student who meets academic requirements has ever violated the honor code, NHS membership is about character as much as grades.” After a student submits their application and essays to join the NHS, their essays are then looked over anonymously by various members of the faculty of St. Joe’s, and judge whether or not the unidentified student is a good fit for the NHS.
Despite this application process, any aspiring NHS member is greatly encouraged to pursue membership if they are invited, as it is a sign of honor and achievement not only in the Joe’s community, but also in the greater academic world. Mrs. Kaczmarek and John Gramza both encourage applications to the NHS, not only because it is a sign of honor and achievement, but also because a membership in the NHS looks good on college applications, and the stole that one receives for graduation makes them stand out as a young man of character and integrity.