From singers to musicians and dancers, On May 20 students showed their skills and competed for gold at this year’s talent show. Students packed the auditorium to see their peers show off their skills and see them in another light. The event brought together students for an hour filled with entertainment and school spirit. 

For sophomore Rafael Martinez, attending the talent show was an opportunity to support fellow students and spend time with friends. 

 “Pretty much to see what Chapin Huskies can do and just to have a good time with my friends also,” Rafael said. 

 One performance that stood out to Rafael was the performance of sophomore Kayleb Torres-Sirmans. 

 “My favorite performance was this kid, I think his name was Kayleb. He sings really cool. I have him for my classes and watching him perform was cool,” Rafael said. 

 According to Rafael, events like the talent show help students connect with one another in ways that are not possible during a regular school day. 

“It’s different when we see that we can experience with them,” Rafael said. “If we see someone in the hallways, it’s totally different now that we watched them singing or doing their favorite hobby.”  

Rafael also noticed improvements compared to previous talent shows. 

“I think this one was more improved in which it was more organized and the rehearsals for auditions and everything was more beneficial for the ones participating,” he said. 

For sophomore Seth Morales, the talent show offered a chance to perform a piece he had been preparing for months. Seth, who performed a piece that he would take to state band competition, saw the event as an opportunity to perform and practice for state competitions. 

“I joined just to show off my piece, especially because I was going to state with that piece and it’s another reason to practice,” Morales said. 

The biggest challenge was revisiting music that had been learned earlier in the school year. 

“We learned the piece all the way back in the beginning of the year, so trying to relearn the piece and sound good again was probably the biggest challenge,”Seth said. 

Although relearning the music took about a week, Seth spent additional time polishing the performance to make it competition ready. 

“I wanted them to feel energetic, excited, and inspired,” he said. 

Although Seth took his time to perfect the piece, he did experience some nerves before stepping on stage. 

“It’s a little nerve wracking at first, but once you start playing, it’s fun,” Seth said. 

Even with a successful performance, Morales said he would make one adjustment if given another opportunity. 

“I think the ending could have been more in sync, and it could have sounded better,” he said. 

Behind the scenes, organizing the event required thorough planning and coordination. According to student coordinator Julie Oshiro, one challenge clearly stood out from the rest. 

“I think the biggest challenge was with preparation and finding a space to have rehearsals and making sure that everyone showed up so we could time the show,” Oshiro said. 

To overcome this challenge, organizers adjusted rehearsal locations and held a full dress rehearsal before the event. 

“We had to move things in different places, but the day before we had a dress rehearsal and we were able to time everything,” Oshiro said. 

One performance stood out to Oshiro, and many others agreed, as they won first place. 

“My favorite performance was the group that won because I had no idea that we had a school band here,” she said. 

According to Oshiro, her primary goal was to create a show that featured many talents and participants from different backgrounds, as she believes talent shows play an important role in building community. 

“I think it’s a great opportunity for students to get to see their peers in a different light,” Oshiro said. “Those kids didn’t realize that those kids had some major skills.” 

Oshiro also emphasized the value of providing students with opportunities to share their talents and gain recognition. 

“It’s a great way to showcase and highlight students that maybe don’t always get recognition,” she said. “It also brings a level of new respect from their peers, and it’s just overall a fun way to get together and celebrate what we have to offer here.”