On October 23, 2013, the Spanish Honor Society induction ceremony took place at Colonia High. 32 new members were inducted to the Spanish Honor Society.
The Spanish Honor Society Induction Ceremony was an event that welcomed new inductees to this prestigious academic club. Ms. Melissa Lopusznick, the Spanish Honor Society Adviser, had a major role in preparing and directing the students for the event. She had to determine the inductees and hold several meetings in advance before this ceremony took place. The rehearsals held before the ceremony helped students understand the logistics of the ceremony: seating arrangements, the program’s reading schedule, and the lighting ceremony. In addition, Ms. Lopusznick asked current members to volunteer to light the candles during the induction ceremony.
The event started out with the new inductees proceeding to the stage. After the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star-Spangled Banner was sung by members of CHS AcaPatriots, Shannon Harmer, a current member of the Spanish Honor Society, welcomed the audience to the event. The event continued with a musical presentation “The Impossible Dream” that was sung by Emma McAndrew. Ms. Alaine Bolton, who teaches choir classes and leads the ACAPatriots, was the adviser for this musical presentation.
The Spanish Honor Society induction ceremony continued with the Spanish Presentation Three Poems. Karuna Katariwala and Mariah Arrue read these poems that were written by Tatiana Palivoda. “The poems read represent what the Spanish Honor Society ceremony is all about, a person’s spirit, strength and art,” said Ms. Lopuzsnick. It was followed by the selection– Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote– read by Melanie Ariokiaswamy, Ashley Fitzsimmons, Bridget Netta, Audris Oh, and Aesha Patel.
The Initiation Ceremony continued as the current members of the Spanish Honor Society were ready to welcome the new inductees to the Spanish Honor Society. The current members of the Spanish Honor Society have certain responsibilities they must carry out. In the ceremony, the current members are expected to participate and run the Spanish Honor Society induction. Ashley Fitzsimmons, Ezequiel Orellana, Katarzyna Tyszka, and Prithvirajan Venkateswaran read off the names of the new inductees. The Gaspar Nunez de Arce translation of “Excelsior” was also read.
The lighting of the candles and the oath was the highlight of the Spanish Honor Society at CHS. During the ceremony, the new inductees each held a candle in their hand; the candle typifies their course of life. The new inductees each took turns lighting their individual candle on the mother candle. “It represents inspiration towards high ideals, ” said Ms. Lopusznick. After the inductees lighted their candles, they repeated the oath of the society. The students blew out their individual candles and kept them as a remembrance for their initiation into the Spanish Honor Society. The new members each received a certificate. Tam Vu concluded the Spanish Honor Society Induction ceremony.
In order for a student to be inducted to the Spanish Honor Society, a student must have completed Spanish 2 and 3 with a final average grade of an A- or higher. At Colonia High, the chapter was created in 1976.
