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MHS grads gather at open house

MARIETTA – On the final day of the year before students departed for winter break, Marietta High School’s National Honor Society hosted its annual alumni open house Friday, with the highlight being the school’s newly opened media center.

The annual event provided a way for alumni to check out the school again and mingle with former and current members of NHS, a nationally-recognized organization designed to recognize outstanding students and channel their work into community service.

Though crowds were a bit low this time around, students said the event serves as a last get-together before a weeks-long winter break.

“It’s a nice way for alumni to get together and talk about what they’ve been doing, and we’ve been doing this for a long time,” said NHS President Katie Rauch.

The high school just recently unveiled its TMI (Technology Media Integration) center within its library, which combines a small cafe area with a traditional library setting, all in one room with multiple banks of new computers, collaboration tables equipped with HDTVs, projectors and video conference screens.

The center was made possible with a large portion of the $800,000 grant Marietta City Schools received to update technology at the high school and middle school.

“We got the entire media center mostly with a grant, so it’s been really exciting to use it and show it off,” Rauch said. “The entire library was completely redone, so it looks a lot different.”

National Honor Society alumnus Justin Warner, class of 2014, wanted to come back and see the new changes after returning home from the College of Wooster.

“It hasn’t been that long, but I was shocked to see this and how things have already changed,” he said. “It’s also just important to me to be able to see old teachers again, and my dad is a teacher, so I plan to come back to visit at least as long as he is here.”

National Honor Society students plan the open house each year as a meet and greet and holiday get-together.

“Usually alums are here anyway for the holiday, but we usually get in a good amount each year coming to visit at some point,” said senior Johnnie Archer, who is in charge of the organization’s public relations.

Warner said the high school saw a lot of changes in administration this year, but said there will always be familiar faces around.

“I miss the river and I miss the town, but it’s the people that you always miss the most from school,” he said.

The event is always held on the last day of school after students finish up with exams.

“It’s just nice to see people you haven’t see in awhile, and a lot of the times people are here that haven’t see the school in a long time, or people that went to school with our parents,” said NHS Vice President Jack Halliday.

NHS students are tapped for induction their junior or senior year based on GPA, which is required to be a cumulative of 3.5 or above through freshman and sophomore year, but are also selected by a faculty board based on their community service and good character traits.

“The main service we provide is tutoring here in the library,” Rauch said.

Classes were officially over for all Marietta City Schools students as of Friday, and will resume again Jan. 5.

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