While seniors take their turn to exit the building and head off into the workforce early, and school work slows down in the anticipation of summer, certain individuals have continued to put effort into their work at NVOT. 

Going by the collective group name ‘NVOT Cards’, an Instagram page was created about 2 weeks ago with a single post.

The post detailed the newly created ‘NVOT Trading Cards’, going in depth about how the game works, card locations, and different rarities, or values, of each card. Throughout the year, cards will be hidden anywhere throughout NVOT for the students to find and trade each other with. The group hopes to put some unique fun in what can appear to be an average day for an NVOT high school student; making finding these cards hidden around the school while walking between classes or sitting outside after school an added bonus to any student’s day.

“We are just trying to add something fun to the school,” said NVOT Cards, over an interview through Instagram. “We legit just made up stuff just because. We are also open to any suggestions for new cards.”

With the rise in popularity among trading cards, it’s no surprise that NVOT would eventually follow suit with the trend. Going all the way back to the 1600’s, trading cards have been eye-catching illustrations that have grown today into a global market on its own. Sports cards, Pokemon cards, Magic the Gathering cards, Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and Lorcana cards are some of the few examples of the trading card thrill. However, why are these cards so addicting? That boils down to three key components: the before, the during, and the after.

The before is the anticipation you feel when opening a pack of cards, the during is the excitement you feel when you find  something inside, and the after is the times of trading with your friends to try and build your collection. 

So why would the school want to hop on this train of card trading and looming excitement? From the perspective of NVOT Cards, it’s school spirit. “Most of the cards have something to do with our school, and it’s fun to see kids trying to find them,” they said. It’s the adrenaline of finding new cards and people to trade them with that makes them stand out, as it brings together the entire school community. For example, “the Football Championship card” is the one that NVOT Cards says has “most to do with school spirit.” Cards like this could help boost community engagement, something which could transform the culture here at NVOT.

Senior Joseph Genco, who himself is a big fan of trading cards, is excited to see what NVOT Cards does even after his graduation. “I think it’s just a fun thing that will build a community around it,” he says, “and they’re popular due to the collectible nature of them”. Genco himself continues to look around the school to see if he can find any cards, saying that “if I find them, I’ll be pretty happy.” 

Junior Clark Kim also agrees with what Genco says, saying that “this will be a nice way for people to get to know the school a bit better, especially freshmen.” While Kim won’t go actively searching for them, he recognizes their potential of branching out and bringing together the NVOT community.

However, some people aren’t as interested in the cards as Genco or Kim are. Sophomore Padriac O’Neil shows disinterest over the cards, and how he doesn’t believe they will boost morale in the school. He says, “I don’t collect trading cards to begin with, and I don’t see any value in these. I haven’t touched trading cards since third grade, so I don’t really think they are popular.” 

But there is hope for NVOT Cards to continue refining and experimenting with their craft. “We are definitely going to try to continue into the 25-26 year as well,” they said. This will give them enough time over the summer to work on things such as supply, building demand, and making their name more well known in the school. Using the ace up their sleeves, and a whole lot of passion, NVOT Cards intends to make a lasting impression on the students with the cards they create.