Zeriah Conover walked over to the book and wrote her name in it.

Writing her name on a piece of paper is normally no big deal, but she was writing her name in Hammonton High School’s chapter of the National Honors Society (NHS).

Conover was inducted along with approximately 40 other new inductees on Thursday, January 23 in the Performing Arts Center and became part of a tradition that spans over many years.

The National Honors Society has been a symbol of academic excellence in Hammonton since 1932. The four pillars of NHS are scholarship, leadership, service, and character.  All students inducted into this prestigious group encompass all four pillars. Scholarship shows how academically talented the inductees are. Whether, the student excels in challenging AP classes, or if they maintain high GPA’s, scholarship is a very important aspect of being selected. Students inducted into NHS must also show leadership. Students can demonstrate leadership by being a captain on a team, an executive, in a club, or by working a part time job. The third pillar of NHS is service. NHS actively participates in community service. The last pillar is character. Character portrays students’s academic honesty, and how they’re good people.

NHS president Madie DiBona explained the how NHS helps the community,

“NHS helps by participating in the peer tutoring at the high school, by tutoring middle school students, and by performing the Halloween safety play at the WES building,” she explained.

What recommendations does DiBona have for new members?

“They should be committed to the group, and to listen to Mrs. Doughty,” she said.

The new inductees were proud of their accomplishments, and eager to participate in upcoming NHS events.

“I was really glad to get into NHS because it looks good on a college application,” said Conover. “I am most excited about the Halloween play.”

Junior Shontiana Butcher was honored to be inducted.

“I was really proud when I first learned that I got in because all of my hard work had finally paid off.”

She acknowledged that she was most eager to help with the peer tutoring program.