Spanish Honor Society Inducts Members
When school resumes in September, Huntington High School's National Spanish Honor Society chapter will be back at full strength, following a late spring induction ceremony held in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium before a large crowd of students and parents.
While the ceremony took on its usual traditional tone, but there was a light-hearted mood as Huntington's French and Italian honor societies joined their Spanish counterpart in welcoming a new crop of members.
The evening included student generated music, song, poetry and eloquent prose. An attentive audience then watched as students were inducted one-by-one during the time-honored candle ceremony.
The new Spanish Honor Society inductees include Ryan Bonitz, Molly Brambil, Alexander Castillo, Yao Chen, Elizabeth Coneys, Tyler Cook, Hayley Drace, Elizabeth Eichenberger, Greta Farrell, Collin Francis, Calvin Francis, Jeremy Gelb, Brian Gilbert, Julie Gray, Megan Healy, Chelsea Holmes, Catherine Koumas, Ryan Lader, Lucie Lavelle, Morgan Mars, Naomi Medina-Jaudes, Ashley Melgar, Lily Morris, Tara Purcell, Thomas Rivas, Alexander Reinertsen, Henry Rogan, Kim Smith, Matthew Whitcher, Caitlin Yabroudy and Spencer Young.
Carmen Kasper, district director of world languages, English as a second language and bilingual programs said that Ms. Morris was the only ninth grader to be inducted. Ms. Kasper said the soon to be sophomore joined the district's first dual language class at Southdown School in 2002 and "excelled" in the DL program.
In seventh grade, Lily started [studying] Italian and is still taking it at the high school in addition to Spanish," Ms. Kasper said. "She is very talented and will have a very successful future as a trilingual person."
Near the end of the ceremony, the society's new members were presented with certificates, memorializing their induction. "Afterward, the new inductees and guests enjoyed a spread of delicious snacks, happily celebrating the accomplishment of these terrific students," Mrs. Peña said. "The induction was a truly unique and warming experience as the foreign language teachers welcomed the most accredited students into their societies. Clearly, next year will be just as good as the last."