H-ton English Honor Society Inducts New Members

The Post Ellipsis chapter of the National English Honor Society at Huntington High School inducted 56 new members during a Wednesday evening ceremony in the auditorium.

The new members expanded the group’s ranks to 119. The organization is led President Anna Bell Young, Vice President Sana Amin, Vice President of Finance Nikolai Seferian, Vice President of Communications Linnea Wong and Public Relations Coordinator Ruby Meidenman. English teachers Aimee Antorino and Helen Guarino serve as the faculty advisors.

To be considered for NEHS membership a student must have a minimum academic grade average of 90, “exhibiting an impressive breadth of academic excellence,” while maintaining an English grade of at least 94.

The new inductees include Brennan Ackerman, Ella Ackerman, Ashley Alay, William Berry, Isabella Careccia-Johnson, Ludo Cattano, Keira Coulter, Emely Cruz, Ada Cruz-Gutierrez, Charlotte Curtin, Lauren Donaghy, Katherine Estrada-Morales, William Fallon, Nina Fascilla, Stephen Connor Fox, Aislyn Franciscovich, Chase Gadaire, Lars Galvin, Isabelle Gregorio, Rafaella Gregorio, Aria Hannah, Amalia Heinz, Dylan Heller, Rachel Huth, Jada Joseph, Griffin Kanzer, Emily Kustera Isabelle Lanfranco, James Larson, Colin Lennon, Caitlin Maher Dubnau, Allison Malone, Tess Markotsis, Jannel Marroquin, Danielle Mendikyan, Mia Molina-Baptista, George Mueger, Kayla Murillo, Natalie Parrott, Nicholas Plachta, Dylan Proctor, Ryan Ramirez, Aine Rimkunas, Gricelle Rojas, Kai Rotunno, Ryan Scanlon, Abby Schueller, Thomas Smith, Eli Soric, Lucas Spagnoletti, Devon St. John, Anne Tyrrell, Myah Urena, Harrison Uvena, Brianna Velasquez and James Vohs.

A crowd of family members and friends turned out for the induction, along with high school and district officials and members of Huntington’s Board of Education.

Officers called the inductees one-by-one to the stage and presented each of them with a membership certificate. The members are now expected to participate in the society’s many volunteer activities.

Huntington’s Post Ellipsis chapter annually inducts at least one honorary member. This year the organization inducted Huntington High School English teacher Gina Colica, who sat on the stage with executive board members and the faculty advisors.

The new members formally entered NEHS ranks during a ceremony that saw each of the teenagers light and hold a candle as they stood before the stage in the auditorium.

The inductees were required to recite the following pledge: “As a member of the National English Honor Society, I shall endeavor to advance the study of all areas of English and to foster a spirit of fellowship among students excelling in all facets of the English Language Arts, ever keeping in mind our national motto as our guiding principle: Gelast Sceal Mid Are–duty goes with honor.”

“The motto represents one of the earliest forms of our language; it affirms and celebrates an obligation to use one’s gifts in service to others,” according to the NEHS website. “Service to peers, school, and community are part and parcel of the NEHS mission and, indeed, in the grammatical structure of the Old English phrase, ‘duty’ actually proceeds ‘honor.’”

A string quintet consisting of exceptional musicians Charlotte Gordon, Lily Tierney, Hannah Byers, Damaris Mani-Munoz and Matthew Armstrong entertained the crowd upon arrival.

A reception was held immediately following the ceremony for students and their parents in the main lobby outside the auditorium.