Math Honor Society Inducts
New Members
Math can be a challenging subject, even for the most academically talented students. So, it's impressive that 32 new members were recently inducted into the local chapter of the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society at Huntington High School.
Each of the honorees has displayed a level of mastery worthy of the celebration and ceremony that was held late last week in the school auditorium. "They are an outstanding group of young men and women," said Huntington math teacher Monica Racz, who serves as the organization's faculty advisor.
The new inductees include Conor Byrne, Andrea Cerini, Taylor Choy, Todd Colvin, Aron Coraor, Greta Farrell, Marc Feldman, James Ferraiolo, Erica Flor, Brent Filippini, Daniel Gallagher, Brian Gilbert, Debbie Gomez, Francesca Gray, Samantha Greenidge, Melanie Grossman, Katie Healy, Emand Khwaja, Ryan Lader, Samantha Lai, Josh Morris, Ari Moskowitz, Molly Prep, Christopher Schoen, Thomas Scott, Daniel Tuohey, Emal Wafajow, Alexis Weitzner, Anna Wertheim, Jonathan Wood, Frank Yeh and Scout Ziegler.
This year's festivities marked the 15th induction ceremony in the society's history. It included several speakers, including Ms. Racz, who explained the purpose of the Math Honor Society and the responsibilities associated with membership and Principal Carmela Leonardi, who congratulated the students and their parents. Family members displayed pride throughout the short ceremony as many filmed the proceedings while others snapped photos.
The organization's officers played key roles in the evening. Kaja Coraor (president), Laura Zenzerovich (vice-president), Lauren Boyce (secretary), Thomas Hardardt (treasurer) and Laurelle Byrne-Cody (tutoring coordinator) provide the Math Honor Society was a large dose of leadership and organizational skill.
Last week's honorees lit candles and as each was inducted, the auditorium lights gradually dimmed until the room was illuminated only by candlelight. It produced a dramatic effect. A small reception followed in the auditorium lobby as the students mingled with each other and family members.
The new inductees join continuing members Natalie Acton, Holly Blakley, Lauren Boyce, Laurelle Byrne-Cody, Philip Cadorette, Sarah Cerezo, Kaja Coraor, Juliana Coraor, Jake Goldstein, Thomas Hardardt, Andrew Ku, Justin Loscalzo, Erik Marcinik, Alexandra Martinolich, Christopher Napolitano, Brittany Oliva, Samantha Palmer, Matthew Petryk, Michelle Rosenbauer, Nitika Shah and Laura Zenzerovich.
To be eligible for membership in the math honor society, students must have successfully completed Math B or Algebra 2 Trigonometry, have a minimum un-weighted average of 90 in previous math courses and have at least an 85 average in their current math class.
The evening and ceremony were enhanced by the presence of The Quadratics, a group of four exceptionally talented Huntington High School strings students. Jeffrey Sun (violin 1), Margaret Petryk (violin 2), Brian Gilbert (viola) and Matthew Petryk (cello) performed under the direction of Lisa Leonardi, the school's orchestra director, to the delight of the crowd.