Out of the many clubs that are offered at WHS, one that stands out is the National Honor Society. Students can apply to become members of NHS in their sophomore and junior years, and members are determined based on both academic achievement and involvement in the community. 

“National Honor Society is an organization that honors students for their scholarship…their service…their leadership…and their character,” English teacher and NHS sponsor Colin Flynn said. 

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students who applied and were accepted into NHS last year were not able to be officially inducted in a formal ceremony at that time. Although they have been participating in NHS activities this school year, the 2020 NHS inductees finally had their induction ceremony on Monday, May 17, the same night as the induction for the 2021 inductees took place. 

“It was nice to have [an induction] since we didn’t get to have one in 2020,” Flynn said. “…We had last year’s induction and this year’s induction, which put a little bit more pressure on it.”

The ceremonies were conducted as close to normal as possible, but sadly, some traditions had to be omitted. 

“Normally, we have a guest speaker, perhaps a former student or someone who’s a leader in the town, come and talk to the students, so I think that was missing,” Flynn said. “Overall, I thought it was nice to see everybody coming together and get the opportunity to honor them in a kind of formal setting.”

Although the NHS induction is an important event, the club is active all through the school year. Students who hold leadership positions and students who have just joined the club both have the opportunity to gain values and experiences from participation. 

“[I enjoyed being] able to pick out service projects and stuff that we can do, especially since this year it was hard because of COVID to find things that we could do,” senior and NHS co-president McKenna Jacquin said. “We had to get creative and think outside the box. Normally, it’s like visiting people and doing hands-on, and we can’t do that, obviously.”

Sponsors also see the benefits to the club and its message.

“I enjoy getting to see the students participating in service projects and, especially, taking leadership roles, whether it be within our organization or within others, and getting to know them outside of the classroom setting,” Flynn said. 

Although one of the requirements for being in NHS is to complete service projects, students should not see them as obstacles, but as opportunities. 

“Try to get your service projects done in the beginning of the year, because a lot of people I know are cramming it in at the end of the year and they don’t have time,” Jacquin said. “Enjoy your time in the club, and don’t see [service projects] as requirements. See them as a way of helping others.”