“We are making a winter wonderland,” junior officer Katie Irwin said.

Coffeehouse is a talent show that National Honor Society hosts every year. Auditions were held on Dec. 10 and the showcase took place at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 in the auditorium. Filled with acts of singing, playing instruments and other performances, Coffeehouse was a special display of student talent. Although Coffeehouse required a lot of planning and cooperation, the NHS officers worked together and made a winter wonderland of awe-inspiring acts. They created a special event that gave student performers a chance to perform their skills, while representing their community.

The officers of NHS worked hard to organize Coffeehouse efficiently and safely. They demonstrated leadership through handling advertising, decorating, organizing, communicating and the auditioning process. While balancing planning and academics, these student leaders remained professional and responsible. As they set up the event, they remembered to stand by the four pillars of NHS, scholarship, service, leadership and character.

Ellie Berg, teacher and coordinator, said Coffeehouse provided a great opportunity for students to lead and participate in a community event.

Performing for an audience is difficult, but the NHS officers helped each performer feel comfortable. After being chosen from auditions, performers strengthened their performances for the showcase. Coffeehouse was an excellent outlet for students to perform their talents.

“Coffeehouse showcases all the talent that the school has, whether it’s a musical student or a student who’s not involved in any music, but has this amazing gift. It’s fun to watch and to see their confidence when performing in front of their friends,” senior officer Ava Karlstad said.

Giving back to the community is one of the most important values as an NHS officer. All of the profits from Coffeehouse went to the Red Cross Storm Relief fund. The members of NHS noticed the devastating aftermath of the recent tornadoes and hurricanes and wanted to help out. By donating those funds, Coffeehouse became a fundraiser to help the community.

Irwin explained giving the proceeds to smaller businesses and described Coffeehouse as, “a fundraiser and a talent show combined.”

Some of the challenges the NHS officers faced was lack of participation and handling safety measures. Their goals were to get the whole school more involved and excited for Coffeehouse. They included a variety of acts into the show to display as many different student talents as possible. The officers of NHS encouraged masks and spread performers and the audience out, as ways to make the showcase safe and comfortable for all the people involved.

“People aren’t familiar with Coffeehouse and everyone’s nervous to perform. We need leaders to take initiative, then get their friends participate too,” Karlstad said.

Since Coffeehouse was about unity and creating a supportive environment, the NHS officers made the showcase inclusive. By bringing people in to see each other’s talent, the community grew as a whole. It was a great opportunity for students to show off their talents and get recognition. NHS put on another successful Coffeehouse for the school and look forward for Coffeehouse in the spring.