Outstanding Achievement

  Sixteen  Newark  High  School  juniors  and  four  seniors  were  inducted  into  the  NHS  chapter  of  the  National  Honor  Society  November  5th  at  an  evening  ceremony  in  the  auditorium.   New  inductees  and  their  grade  levels  are  juniors:  Tatum  Arnold,  Isabella  Bailey,    Phoebe  Bates,  Brendan  Briggs,  McKenna  Briggs,  Elana  Verbridge-­‐Day,  Hannah  Fisher,  Lynzee  Havert,  Matthew  Hutteman,  Lauren  MacTaggart,  Luis  Ortiz  Jr.,  Deborah  Szarek,  Emily  Tang,  Madeline  Tulloch,  Emily  Well  and  Kayla  Williams.  Seniors  inducted  were  Caitlin  Chopan,  Casey  Fox,  Jordan  Navarro  and  Madeline  Wetmore.   As  each  student’s  name  was  called  by  NHS  Spanish  teacher  Ariel  Denny,  advisor  of  the  NHS  Chapter  of  the  National  Honor  Society,  he  or  she  came  forward,  and  shook  hands  with  NHS  Principal  Tom  Roote.

    The  new  inductees  were  selected  by  a  faculty  council  on  the  basis  of  scholarship,  character,  leadership  and  service.   “All  candidates  must  have  a  scholastic  average  of  at  least  88  to  be  accepted  by  the  National  Council,’’  Denney  explained.  “In  addition  to  the  scholastic  average,  the  local  application  process  includes  a  resume,  essay,  teacher  sponsorship  from  5  high  school  teachers  and  a  character  questionnaire.    This,  along  with  leadership  in  the  classroom,  the  ability  to  place  service  above  self,  demonstration  of  high  standards  toward  honesty,  reliability,  fairness  and  tolerance  constitute  the  criteria  which  has  led  to  each  one’s  selection.

“Your  achievements  in  these  areas-­-­Scholarship,  Leadership,  Service,  and  Character  are  being  honored  tonight  by  your  induction,”  she  continued.    “This  is  a  wonderful  way  for  the  school  and  community  to  recognize  and  celebrate  the  choices,  and  sometimes  the  sacriKices  you  have  made.”   Denny  also  said  acceptance  of  new  Honor  Society  members  “should  be  considered  the  beginning  of  an  obligation,  not  merely  the  culmination  of  an  effort  to  achieve  recognition  and  honor.”     Once  inducted,  new  members  will  assist  the  chapter  by  helping  to:   •  Create  enthusiasm  for  scholarship                       •  Stimulate  a  desire  to  render  service     •  Promote  worthy  leadership   •  Encourage  the  development  of  character  in  all  NHS  students   “You  have  worked  hard  to  earn  this  and  tonight  is  an  opportunity  to  reKlect  on  your  successes,  and  feel  proud  of  yourselves  and  your  accomplishments,”  Denny  said.

  Then  the  four  National  Honor  Society  ofUicers  _  NHS  seniors  Katherine  Paddock  (president),  Jasmine  Bueso  (vice-­‐president)  Emma  Correia  (secretary)  and  Nichelle  Camp  (treasurer)  further  explained  the  criteria  for  membership.  

  Next,  Roote  spoke  to  the  inductees.   “Welcome  guests,  congratulations  inductees  and  thank  you  for  this  opportunity  to  speak,”  he  said.  “This  evening,  you  heard  about  the  symbolism  associated  with  the  National  Honor  Society  .  .  .  (its)  logo  depicted  by  a  cauldron  or  lamp  with  a  light.    The  light  is  the  symbol  of  truth.  Interestingly,  our  motivations  often  focus  on  the  acquisition  or  personiKication  of  a  symbol.  For  example,  amateur  athletes  identify  with  the  Kive  interlocking  rings  of  the  Olympics.  The  symbol  of  world  dominance  in  soccer  comes  only  after  hoisting  the  World  Cup  trophy.  When  speaking  of  athletic  symbolism,  one  must  mention  the  Stanley  Cup  awarded  to  North  America’s  best  hockey  club.   “I  want  to  focus  you  on  the  personiKication  of  a  symbol  for  a  moment.  What  does  that  mean?  First,  to  personify  means  embodying  a  quality,  concept,  or  thing.  Symbol  in  this  case  means  whatever  thing  is  the  subject  of  the  embodiment  or  concept.  In  your  case  it  is  the  cauldron  representing  the  ideals  of  NHS.  Lets  look  at  this  idea  of  symbols  and  personiKication  in  a  fable  I  share  from  time  to  time  with  teachers  needing  a  bit  of  inspiration.     “  It  starts  with  a  water  bearer  in  India  with  two  large  pots,  one  hung  on  each  end  of  a  pole,  which  she  carried  across  her  neck.   “One  of  the  pots  had  a  crack  in  it.  While  the  other  pot  was  perfect,  and  always  delivered  a  full  portion  of  water  at  the  end  of  the  long  walk  from  the  stream  to  the  house,  the  cracked  pot  arrived  only  half  full.   “For  a  full  two  years,  this  went  on  daily,  with  the  bearer  delivering  only  one  and  a  half  pots  full  of  water  to  the  house.   “The  perfect  pot  was  proud  of  its  accomplishments,  perfect  to  the  end  for  which  it  was  made.  But  the  poor  cracked  pot  was  ashamed  of  its  own  imperfection,  and  miserable  that  it  was  able  to  accomplish  only  half  of  what  it  had  been  made  to  do.   “After  two  years  of  what  it  perceived  to  be  a  bitter  failure,  it  spoke  to  the  water  bearer  one  day  by  the  stream:  "I  am  ashamed  of  myself,  and  I  want  to  apologize  to  you."   “  ‘Why?’  asked  the  bearer.  ‘What  are  you  ashamed  of?’   "  ‘I  have  been  able,  for  these  past  two  years,  to  deliver  only  half  my  load  because  this  crack  in  my  side  causes  water  to  leak  out  all  the  way  back  to  the  house.  Because  of  my  Klaws,  you  have  to  do  all  of  this  work,  and  you  don't  get  full  value  from  your  efforts,’  the  pot  said.   “The  water  bearer  felt  sorry  for  the  old  cracked  pot,  and  in  her  compassion,  she  said,  ‘As  we  return  to  the  house,  I  want  you  to  notice  the  beautiful  Klowers  along  the  path.’   “Indeed,  as  they  went  up  the  hill,  the  old  cracked  pot  took  notice  of  the  sun  warming  the  beautiful  wild  Klowers  on  the  side  of  the  path,  and  this  cheered  it  some.   “But  at  the  end  of  the  trail,  it  still  felt  bad  because  it  had  leaked  out  half  its  load,  and  so  again  it  apologized  to  the  bearer  for  its  failure.   “The  bearer  said  to  the  pot,  ‘Did  you  notice  that  there  were  Klowers  only  on  your  side  of  the  path,  but  not  on  the  other  pot's  side?’   “  ‘That's  because  I  have  always  known  about  your  Klaw,  and  I  took  advantage  of  it.  I  planted  Klower  seeds  on  your  side  of  the  path,  and  every  day  while  we  walk  back  from  the  stream,  you've  watered  them.’    “  ‘For  two  years  I  have  been  able  to  pick  these  beautiful  Klowers  to  decorate  my  table.  Without  you  being  just  the  way  you  are,  she  would  not  have  this  beauty  to  grace  her  house.’  ’’   “It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  congratulate  our  new  inductees,  for  you  are  now  our  water  bearers,”  Roote  said.  “It  is  your  job  to  spread  the  qualities  of  the  cauldron  that  you  embody  as  if  they  are  the  seeds  and  water  mentioned  in  the  fable.  Congratulations!”         After  Roote  spoke,  Paddock  led  the  new  inductees  in  the  National  Honor  Society  pledge  for  new  members.   Immediately  following  the  ceremony  an  informal  reception  was  held  in  the  school  foyer  for  new  inductees  and  their  guests.