On Dec. 8, 2023, the National Honor Society (NHS) at Lexington High School hosted its annual talent show, created to bring the Lexington community together. This year, it featured around 20 different acts and over 50 total performers.
NHS is an organization of high-performing students who collaborate and engage in community service projects. Candidates, who apply in their junior year, must demonstrate rich community presence and leadership skills while meeting high academic standards.
“The [NHS] selections are based on these four pillars: character, scholarship, leadership, and academics,” Parul Kumar, a teacher and NHS advisor at LHS, said.
One of the ways NHS increases volunteerism among students is by hosting events where students can serve their local community, such as the annual talent show.
“The talent show is one of the biggest fundraisers for the National Honor Society. The main goal is to send money to charities, but some of the money is also used to organize NHS events,” Kumar said.
Organizing the talent show requires time and commitment from NHS members. During the weeks leading up to the show, Kumar and the officers were busy advertising, preparing the auditorium, and getting support from nearby businesses for awards to the judges’ favorite performers.
“[Getting support from local businesses] are some of the challenges which take time. But every year we manage it,” Dr. Kumar said.
Their efforts ultimately paid off. The talent show was immensely popular and well-received by the LHS community, with the audience thoroughly enjoying all of the performances.
“I just feel like my jaw was dropped at every single performance,” Mahi Mirchandani, a senior, said.
The talent show is not only a successful fundraiser, but also a showcase of the vast array of talents LHS students have to offer.
“I feel like our students are so talented, but they don’t have the opportunity to showcase their talent individually,” Kumar said.
NHS members are looking to find ways to improve the event for upcoming years.
“[We had] a diverse array of acts this year, but maybe increasing it even more [would lead to improvement],” Grace Li, Vice President of Web Administration, said.
Another goal the society has is to increase faculty and student attendance.
“I really want to ask people if they can just spare one day, one evening, out of the whole school year and come and encourage their students,” Kumar said.
At the end of the day, the talent show serves as a unique opportunity for students to showcase who they are outside of the academic world and give back to the community.
“When they come on the stage, they do something which they’re passionate about. It’s just so heartwarming to see,” Kumar said.
