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14 Chillicothe High School
Juniors Inducted Into National Honor Society C-T Photo/Laura Schuler
What does it mean to be a member of the National Honor Society? That's the question Matt Aviles asked the 2007-08 National Honor Society inductees Tuesday night at Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center. Aviles, a youth pastor at United Methodist Church, served as the speaker for the event, which featured a candle lighting service, a duet by Sally Baldwin and Sara Mathew, and of course, the induction of the new members. Aviles asked the inductees if being a NHS member is simply an item to list on a resume, a way to achieve prestige among their peers or approval from their parents and teachers. He then listed the four characteristics students must exhibit before being selected as NHS members: scholarship, character, service and leadership. In talking about “scholarship” Aviles asked the students if being a scholar means simply to achieve good grades and a high grade point average. “Or, does being a scholar say anything about the way you think?” Aviles asked. He went on to ask the inductees if they thought on a higher level or simply memorize facts and consider them only at face value. “Do you think for yourself?” Aviles asked. When he talked about “character,” Aviles asked the inductees about their moral character. “Are you the same at school as you are at home? Are you the same at home as you are out on a Friday night?” he asked. Ultimately, Aviles said, the choices the students make are their own and they must live by them. "Service," Aviles said, can be viewed by some as a task of gaining or gathering only a certain amount of hours for induction into the society. He urged the students to think deeply about the projects in which they are involved. "Do you serve selflessly and think higher of others than yourself?" he asked. "Leadership," Aviles said, is the character of empowering others. "You people are our best hope for this community," Aviles said, adding that the students should not wait until they are old enough, or graduated from school to make an impact in Chillicothe. "Who you are at this moment is more than enough to make a difference in Chillicothe," he said. However, he noted that making a difference likely won't come without cost. "You may stumble or fall, but don't let that failure define you," Aviles advised. He told the inductees that the only thing that should define them is love. "Never give up, never lose faith and remain hopeful," Aviles advised. Chillicothe High School student inducted into the National Honor Society Tuesday night were: Maddie Anderson, Jaimie Baker, Jessica Boyer, Jenna Curtis, Cody Graham, Donald Heaton, Steven Johnson, Vanessa Jones, Parker Leatherman, Ben Radcliff, Jacob Rockhold, Cari Stockard, Chelsea Sturgess and Ellyn Turner. A reception followed for the inductees and their families in the high school commons. |
CAPTION:
Maddie Anderson, a junior at Chillicothe High School was among 14 members of the junior class inducted into the National Honor Society Tuesday night during an induction ceremony held at Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center. A reception followed in the high school commons.