The Computer Science Honors Society is gathering on November 16 in the MPR to officially induct its new members into the program through the CSHS pledge. “We are glad to see the growth of interest in CSHS at our school brings a bigger group of students all working together sharing the same love for CS and passion to help the community,” said Alanis Cruz, a senior and president of CSHS. The ceremony consists of speeches, certificates and medals, and a display of both inducted members and returning members information such as future careers, achievements, and more as well. 

The induction ceremony is planned by the Event Planning committee, one of the 5 committees in CSHS, which is overseen by Vice President Mathew Heredia. “We have split the work evenly amongst the committee so that everything can go smoothly and everyone can enjoy the moment,” Heredia said. 

Each member of the committee is tasked with a piece of planning for the event. “For example, I am in charge of certificates along with presentation, another is in charge of the pastries and contacting businesses, another is in charge of the program for the event, another in decor, and etc,” Heredia said. 

The process to recruiting these new inductees was a lengthy process through initial applications, teacher recommendations, interviews, and final decisions. “With so many applicants we made sure to look for those who stood out and went above and beyond in both their interview and application,” Cruz said

“Especially during the interviews, we get to learn more about the applicant than what we gather from their answers to our interview questions,” Cruz said. There were about 30 applicants this year, with 16 inductees selected. 

The Computer Science Honors Society was brought to MACES in the midst of the zoom usage during the school shutdowns. “During online we were using zoom for class, communication, meetings, everything. I know people still mention zoom today and think that was such a long time ago but it was really amazing to see how much technology helped us during this difficult time,” Heredia said. Throughout the time that CSHS began to today, the number of members has grown significantly, from about 10 members to almost 40. 

Overall, members are looking forward to being officially inducted into the program, and board members like Cruz and Heredia have high hopes. “Being a senior this ceremony means a lot to me seeing as it’s the last one I will attend. Each induction ceremony shows our growth as a national society here at MACES and every year these new members go above and beyond with their work at and outside of MACES,” Cruz said.