Many new students were welcomed to South’s National Honors Society (NHS) after becoming official members on Tuesday, May 5 at the induction ceremony at South.

“NHS is a service organization and members are required to complete community service hours as well as service to the school,” said Maggie Lay, one of the sponsors for NHS along with counselor Megan Kappas.

Juniors who met the minimum GPA requirements were invited to apply for NHS. The application process required students to fill out forms, write two essays, and acquire teacher recommendations, as well as recommendations from people outside of the school. Once the deadline arrived, teachers went over the packets from the applicants.

“We had an anonymous faculty council that reviewed the applications and they decided who [was] accepted,” Lay said.

Members have many qualities set up by NHS that make them stand out from other students, called the four tenants which are Character, Scholarships, leadership, and service

“Each member must show strength in all four areas in order to be in NHS,” Lay said.

Once they become official members, the students will have to complete 50 hours of service hours in addition to volunteer for many projects like the final exam care packages in order to get the tassels for graduation. Lay and Kappas hope for the members to gain a lot from being a member.

“We would like the new members to develop a passion for service,” said Lay, “We are most successful as an organization when our members continue to seek out opportunities to serve their community beyond their required hours.”