National Math Honor Society:
Talk to math teachers to find a sponsor.
Find four students who would be willing to help run it.
Lay down ground rules to officers.
These are the steps senior Allen Zhu took to start a chapter of National Math Honor Society (NMHS).
NMHS began this school year when Zhu created the society, along with seniors Brady Buescher, Nick Reding, Spencer Ho and junior Asim Zaidi.
“We started it because we felt math was important,” Zhu said. “It’s one of the most widely used subjects in the world.”
The NMHS provides SAT and ACT math help during the meetings.
They also help students prepare for math contests such as the American Mathematics Competition 10 and 12. Zhu said the leaders are trying to get a speaker from the University of Kansas to come to one of the meetings.
They also plan to do some math games and activities at future meetings.
Sponsor Richard Gill said the main idea of NMHS is to bring students together that have an interest in math.
“The overall purpose is to recognize and honor math students,” he said. “Also, we want the mathematically gifted students to get together and work together.”
Zhu said Gill lets the officers lead NMHS.
“Sometimes he steps in and gives us ideas, but usually it’s just been the five of us planing and doing everything,” Zhu said. “He is encouraging us to be independent. He knows that we are capable of leading this thing well.”
Gill said there are two main reasons why students should join the organization.
“One reason for students to join is that it looks good on college applications,” Gill said. “The other reason is to bring like-minded students together. If you enjoy mathematics and excel in mathematics, you need to be able to get together with people who have the same interests as you.”
About 1,800 other National Math Honor Societies exist in the world.
“At first, some people thought this wasn’t something to be taken seriously,” Zhu said. “I know people might think it’s a joke, but it’s not. The fact that we can be a part of this is a pretty big deal to us, so that’s why we are taking it so seriously.”
For more information, listen to the announcements or look for the group on Facebook.
Qualifications for NMHS:
- 3.5 weighted GPA
- 3.0 unweighted GPA
- $10 registration fee and forms
National History Honor Society:
Contemporary issues, wars, philosophy, the economy.
All of these topics, plus many more, are ideas that the new National History Honor Society (NHHS) have discussed at the meetings.
Junior Nate Provost began NHHS this year because nothing else like it exists at BV.
“There weren’t really any other clubs I could connect with,” Provost said. “I didn’t have an interest in any of the other academic ones, so I thought it would be a good idea to get this club started. I was inspired to start the club because I saw how much interest my AP Euro class took in history and how much they got involved.”
Provost went to social studies teacher Brian Mowry to ask if he would sponsor the society.
He and the other officers were trying to figure out how they should run the society when they found a website about other National History Honor Societies that existed.
“I had the idea,” he said. “It was all planned out. I just needed to make it work. I wrote a letter to the National History Club in Boston, and they gave me the okay.”
Provost said the process of starting the club was difficult but worth it in the end.
“It’s something I care about,” he said. “I’ve never really cared so much about any other academic thing except history. It’s always been my forté.”
The society meets every other Tuesday in room 608. Meetings are occasionally on the weekends to watch historical movies.
NHHS has four officers: juniors Blake Staley, Collin Mardis, Travis Strohmeyer and Jamie Brower. Provost said he chose the officers because they all have the same interests.
“We were all upset about the fact that there wasn’t anything like [NHHS],” he said. “The other officers felt the same way I did.”
Provost said NHHS involves discussing current events.
“It’s basically a club that will get people thinking about their views on the government,” he said. “It’s important for people to know where we are headed, why we are the way we are and why we live the way we live. I just wish people would be a little more educated about it.”
Provost said NHHS is different from the other honor societies because they talk about their opinions.
“I feel like students hold back on good ideas that they have and don’t say what they want to say,” he said. “They should be allowed to say whatever they want — that’s the beauty of this club. We say what we think.”
For more information, check out the NHHS on Facebook.
Qualifications for NHHS
- Overall 3.0 GPA and 3.5 GPA in history classes
- At least one AP history class
- 200 points before graduation
- $5 registration fee and forms