The second annual Soaring Seahawk Student Showcase will be held Thursday, Feb. 13 in the Little Theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets for the event cost $5.

Seniors and Executive Council members Kacey Hirshfeld, Megan DeSisti, and Katie Asmussen are coordinating the event, along with the leadership class.

Coordinators describe the event as a spin-off of a talent show.

DeSisti said the event will be divided into four rounds. There is the casual wear and formal wear rounds where contestants show off their clothing. Then, the talent round allows the students to display their talent. Finally, there is a question-answer round, in which contestants must answer one question, similar to the style of beauty pageants.

While these students will be critiqued by the judges on their performances, the show is not just a typical beauty pageant. The prize for the winner has yet to be determined.

“There are some elements that would make people assume that the showcase is a pageant,” DeSisti said. “Really, we wanted to give students who do not typically have the opportunity to showcase their abilities. We don’t want to promote the event as one.”

Ten contestants with varied talents are slated to perform for five judges, including FCPS Cluster VIII Superintendent Dr. Fabio Zulauga, his assistant Dr. Jane Dreyfuss, Reston Community Center Executive Director Leila Gordon, and former Washington Redskin Todd Liebenstein.

“We chose a diverse group of people that know about performance, but are also known by the community so it would be an honor to be judged by them,” Asmussen said. “This way they see what South Lakes is and they can be unbiased because they don’t have relationships with the students.”

Contestants were required to complete an application that needed teacher, counselor, and financial signatures to approve their participation in the show.

“The contestants exhibit the good standards that a Seahawk should have,” Hirschfeld said.

In addition to the application process, the contestants are required to sell 10 tickets to family members and friends.

This year’s showcase promises to be an even bigger spectacle than last year.

During the intermission, the South Lakes feeder schools like Langston Hughes band will perform. Last year’s winners Stanley Payne and Kemi Akinbileje will also perform, according to Hirshfeld.

Doors open at 6 p.m. because a silent auction will be held with many prizes available for bidding, including a hat signed by a Nationals player, Washington Capitals tickets, and an $800 valued package from Applerouth Tutoring.

The money raised from the silent auction and ticket sales will benefit the Seahawk Strong fund, which strives to give the money back to students.

“Keeping the money with South Lakes makes South Lakes better,” Hirshfeld said.