NAHS offers great opportunities
BY CAMPBELL SUMMERS, Freshman
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| NAHS VIDEO FEATURE |
BLYTHEWOOD-- The halls of Blythewood High School are decorated with a diverse array of painting and pictures. Each unique, colorful mural displays a specific program or club at BHS that students can participate in.
One of these murals displays BHS’ very own National Art Honors Society. The NAHS is sponsored by the visual arts teacher, Mrs. Margaret Roberson.
“Art’s my passion,” said Roberson. “Anytime I can advocate for the arts and encourage students to be involved in anything that has to do with the arts, I’m going to be involved in that.”
The National Art Honors Society is a nationally recognized program designed for students grades ten through twelve to participate and interact with the arts all across North America. Students who join the program are able to practice and tune their artistic abilities and receive awards and recognition for their work.
85 Strong
According to National Art Honors Society, there are over 46,000 students participating in the society across the United States.
“We are the second largest honors society on campus,” commented Roberson. “It’s getting stronger... We’re 85 strong now.”
When Roberson started out as the sponsor for National Art Honors Society at Blythewood High, there were only 8 to 12 students part of the program.
“But, we could be larger, seeing as we are a campus of 2,000 students... there are a lot of students out there that still have the ability to become members of the National Art Honors Society,” Roberson said.
The 85 members of the NAHS at Blythewood are sure to witness improvements in their school and outside of school environments. According to DoSomething.org, students who study art are four times more likely to receive recognition for their academic achievements, and are also three times more likely to be awarded for school attendance.
Creative Events and Casual Contests
“All art students are eligible for the contests we participate in, not just National Arts Honor Society,” Roberson said. “We participate in the Youth Art Month here in South Carolina, we submit all artworks that are eligible for Scholastic Arts, we submit to the Richland 2 Arts Festival.”
The NAHS also participates in several fundraisers and community activities, including Relay For Life, a nationwide walk to raise money and awareness of cancer. National Art Honor Society also adopts less fortunate families during the holiday season to raise money and purchase presents for them.
“This past year, we repainted all of the nutcrackers for a neighborhood down the street called Longcreek.... That was a kind of interesting one, we had a lot of fun doing that,” Roberson said.
Many students from various interests and backgrounds take part in National Art Honor Society.
“I like the fact that a ton of people who have very different creative minds can come together,” said National Art Honors Society co-president, Kerisa Ware. “And work on those minds in a similar project and that you can actually use art to benefit the community around you.”
Taking an extracurricular activity involved with any arts, not just visual, is proven to decrease dropout rates of high schoolers. Participating in the arts helps students find their passion and gives them a reason to stay in school and work towards their education.
“I’ve always been interested in art,” said NAHS co-president, Caila Buckhaults. “I’ve always had a natural knack for it.”
Changing The Mind
Many art courses and programs like the NAHS offer creative and productive environments for students to work not only on their artistic capabilities, but on their social, leadership, academic, and learning skills.
“National Arts Honor Society has changed me as a student, as a person, just by the way it has made me think about problems differently,” commented Buckhaults. “It has the technical aspect, like organizing the events, but you also have the creative aspect of the art that goes into the events themselves.”
“Art has helped me to develop my creative mind,” Ware said. “It develops me to think creatively about a problem instead of just giving up.”
There are a variety of things that students and teachers like about National Arts Honors Society.
Lasting Impressions
“My favorite thing is getting to know the kids,” Roberson said. “Finding out what they like, how they’re developing over the years, watching them mature, watching their art talent develop, how their abilities grow...”
Roberson has seen many students grow and develop into amazing artists throughout her career and her sponsorship of National Art Honors Society.
“I get teary eyed at the end of the school year whenever we have our art show...” Roberson commented. “I will always cry and that’s because I’ve made these relationships with students for three or four years and I hate to see them go.”
Many of these students have went on to participate and study in art fields at a variety of college and universities.
“They are my children,” Roberson said. “Each and everyone one of them are special in my heart.”
