On Friday May 11, leadership hosted the 2018 talent show! The night consisted of thirteen student performances that ranged anywhere from singing to a spoken word recitation. The acts were judged by celebrities guests, including Olympian Maame Biney, Survivor contestant and teacher Mr. Shapiro, and Ms. Virginia Julie Wilson. While the talent show was considered a competition, the atmosphere was purely friendly and non-competitive–the kind of spirit South Lakes promotes. The audience applauded each and every act with the same enthusiasm and never failed to make the contestants feel welcome. As performers waited backstage for their turn, leadership students made sure they felt ready to perform and reassured them that they would be amazing. It was quite incredible how positive the atmosphere was, since high schoolers are sometimes too caught up their world to be there for others.

    Some highlights from the show include cultural dances from Janice and Kiran, Shuhd’s emotional poem called “How to be a Muslim in America,” Spanish Honor Society’s salsa squad,  and Robert’s freestyle dancing. Everyone did a wonderful job at showcasing their talents, and each person deserves another round of applause for getting up on that stage. Once all the acts had performed, the hosts conducted the “People’s Choice Award” voting. Audience members pulled out their phones and voted for an act through a URL link. After voting was finished, leadership gave a special performance called “synchronized swimming” in which students dressed in swimsuits and danced to music.

    At the end of the night, awards were given by the judges to first, second, and third place contestants. It was announced that the “People’s Choice Award” was given to a group of students who performed an acoustic rap about pasta. Third place was given to Paula, Lauren, and Daniel who sang “A Million Reasons,” second place was given to Selin who performed a solo dance act, and first place was given to Leana who sang an original song while accompanying herself on guitar. Competition aside, it was a wonderful experience for both those on stage and off, and it is safe to say the night was a great success.