The smell of chocolate fills the air while the sounds of laughter and screams are heard in the distance. Each year the National Honor Society members are rewarded with a senior trip, this year to Hershey Park and Chocolate World. 

As junior year comes around, students strive to maintain academic excellence with a GPA of 3.7 or higher in order to be inducted into the National Honor Society. Aubrey Cable, treasurer, said, “Being inducted into NHS is a good way to be recognized for all the hard work you have done.”  

Members are to carry with them the characteristics of Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service  These skills are brought out through a variety of activities that NHS stands by and organizes. “Being a part of NHS is rewarding and a good way to give back to the community. It is also something that looks good on college applications and resumes,” Amelia Howard, explained. Members are required to do a number of community service activities to remain a member and receive an honors cord at graduation. 

Throughout the year, members have completed multiple community service activities, from Christmas baskets for less fortunate kids, to having an appreciative Chick-fil-a lunch for the teachers. As an officer Aubrey said, “With Covid, the 20 hour community service requirement was replaced instead with three small activities. As one of the officers, we put in a lot of our time and hard work into the community service activities.” 

For all the hard work put forth by the students each year, they are rewarded with a senior trip. In years past, they have taken trips to cities including, New York, Chicago, Boston, and even Toronto. Due to Covid, a small day trip was planned to Hersheypark and Chocolate World. 

Along with Mrs. Kuhn, the NHS advisor, and the NHS officers, they came together to make this trip possible. Mrs. Kuhn knew she wanted to do something, it was just finding a trip that could be done under Covid conditions.

She said, “After last March, I thought Covid would be past us by this time; however that was not the case.” Mrs. Kuhn was continuously asked by students if there was going to be a trip this year. Her response was truly that she did not know. It was a waiting game throughout the year wondering what would happen with Covid numbers and restrictions. 

Mrs. Kuhn and the NHS officers, which include President, Dom Robinson, Vice President, Reese Petrosky, Corresponding Secretary, Reilly DeMichele, Recording Secretary, Emma Fenton, and Treasurer, Aubrey Cable, started looking at possible places for a trip. “We had to move quickly and get options board approved,” Mrs. Kuhn explained. 

Unlike in past years, many things needed to be taken into consideration to maintain safety of the students. Aubrey explained, “A day in Pittsburgh, Kennywood, and Cedar Point all came up as possibilities, but none of them met all the necessary requirements to be board approved.” Hershey ended up being the only suitable place. 

After picking the location, the transportation and date needed to be decided on. She said, “The buses had to have proper ventilation and I had to pick a date where no AP tests were being held. I, as well, figured out if anyone were to contract covid their quarantine period would be up before prom and graduation.”

As for the trip expenses, it was relatively cheap for students. Mrs. Kuhn explained, “I didn’t use a trip advisor this year, which cut down the cost. To break it down, the park meal would be $14, dinner, $27, the park ticket, $32, and the remainder is bus tip.”

“I wish I could say we are going to shop at Tiffany and Co. and go to see a Broadway show, but overall I’m happy we were able to make something happen for these kids. They deserve a trip after all of their hard work,” she said.

Amelia said, “We haven’t had a lot of opportunities to do the fun things that come with senior year, so I’m glad this trip could be made possible for us.”

As a whole, the members of NHS and Mrs. Kuhn have done an amazing job of coming together through these troubling times to still do good for the school and our surrounding community. As for the trip, students are excited to have some kind of normality to end their senior year. 

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