As a new quarter begins, the McLean chapter of the National Art Honors Society (NAHS) has already begun organizing opportunities to promote creativity and community service on campus.
On Veterans Day, celebrated annually on Nov. 11, Americans gather to honor those in the U.S. Armed Forces. As the holiday approaches, the NAHS arranged sessions in which student-creatives can create cards to recognize veterans and their service to the nation.
“[The NAHS] will be sending these cards to Post 85 of The American legion,” NAHS sponsor and art teacher Allison Dreon said. “It’s in Arlington and it’s open to [Veterans] from all military branches, which is part of why I chose this organization.”
Everyday last week after school, members handcrafted heartfelt messages to relay to American veterans, with watercolors, calligraphy pens and colored pencils scattered on the tables alongside students in a state of deep concentration.
“I know family friends who served in the military and I think it’s really important to thank them for all their service,” sophomore NAHS member Brooke Proman said.
Since NAHS has stopped being the sole organizer of school art shows, the society has shifted their focus to projects that pertain to both art and community service. The creation of Veterans Day cards is one of the first projects orchestrated since this shift.
The event has enabled the intersection of art and community service with the NAHS.
“I enjoy events like these in NAHS because it gives me the opportunity and the resources to harness my creativity for good causes,” Proman said. “It can also be a good motivator to be creative. It’s hard to motivate yourself to do it when you have homework and other obligations, but here I’m doing it for a larger cause.”
Prospectively, NAHS hopes to expand the Veterans Day card making event to get the wider McLean student body involved.
“I’m hoping next year we can organize something bigger,” Dreon said. “We want to make it so that students who are outside of NAHS can feel invited to participate in [the] creation of these cards and spreading of appreciation to the veterans in our community.”
