As the stage lights dimmed and the murmurs of side conversations faded, all eyes were fixed on the girl standing at the center of the stage. It was her time to shine. With a deep breath, she steadied herself as she prepared to unveil his talent to teachers and friends.
West Ottawa should host a school talent show to mark the opening of our new Performing Arts Center. This event would provide exposure for the school as well as an enriching experience and opportunity for our students. It could also serve as a fundraiser for WO Senate, Wo Renaissance, or any group willing to organize it. Nearby schools have found talent shows and similar events in previous years were highly successful. Zeeland West’s Principal said, “Our performing arts does a Zealand’s Got Talent each year and it is a huge success,” Travis Spaman said.
Similarly, Zeeland East’s principal, Jessica Knoth adds “We have a talent show every year and it is always well attended and a big success.” she said. Although Holland High has not held a talent show in recent years it hosted a lip sync battle that was a big hit. An event like this promotes inclusivity, creativity, and confidence within the student body. After surveying the school we found that 74% of students would attend it and 27% expressed interest in performing, demonstrating a demand for such an event. Participants are eager to showcase talents such as comedy, signing, color guard, dribbling, playing instruments, dancing, and acting. This talent show would be a great way to get those acts out to the public and raise funds for other events.
Not to mention the lasting impacts of a talent show, “I would go to it because when my brother went to this school as a junior he performed and I watched him dribbling with a basketball.” said Frosh. Ethan Taylor. I still remember the eighth-grade talent show I performed in, I sang House of Gold by Twenty-one Pilots. I was never a singer by any means I just signed up to impress a boy I had a crush on, as expected it was pretty terrible but if I could go back and do it again I would. It helped me build confidence and learn not to be ashamed of myself. Plus it’s a fun memory for my family to look back on.
To organize an event like this we would need to form a planning committee by recruiting teachers and students, and assigning specific roles and responsibilities to each member.
Next, we should choose a date that avoids conflicts with other school events and determine the duration of the show. Whether it be an assembly or an after-school event, creating a budget for props, decorations, prizes, and other necessary items is essential. If needed plan a fundraiser and set ticket prices.
Promoting the event through, flyers, social media, and announcements, will help spread the word. We also need to organize auditions f by setting up dates, times, and criteria for judging and we notify people if they made it quickly. Planning the show also involves creating a lineup of all the acts, selecting an emcee to host the events, and organizing rehearsals. Additionally, we need to set up sound, lighting, or any other necessary equipment and props. We would need to select a panel of judges and decide on prizes. finally conducting rehearsals and making final preparations will ensure the talent show runs smoothly.
Although looking at it all written out is daunting, setting up a talent show is completely doable if we all come together. “I would be interested in being a part of a committee,” said Soph Priya Jansen.
WO is filled with talented people. Let’s showcase that talent in a new way.
