The 58th Annual Variety Show displayed countless, remarkable acts with freshmen both operating and performing in the spotlight. I had the opportunity to talk to 6 freshmen about their encounters during the show and how it had a positive impression on their first year.

Alaina DeRousse and Nina Kremper engaged the audience with the act Dancing in the Dark which consisted of them putting glow sticks on themselves and dancing.

“The show is something where you can be yourself and a really good experience because there’s a lot of people of different ages that you can meet,” stated Freshman Alaina.

Freshman Nina added to this sentiment, saying, “It really expands your creativity and helps you become more independent.” Not only were they able to have fun and expand their horizons by meeting new people, but they were also able to learn how to manage their time better. 

“I was nervous until I got on the stage. Once I got on the stage, I got really locked in and had a really good time,” Freshman Ozan Kose, who played in the band Ultraviolet, stated. “The applause was my favorite part of the whole experience,” freshman Eli Sadowski said, the drummer for Ultraviolet. Both of them said that being onstage was an overall surreal experience.

One key element that stops many people from trying out is the audition part, but Freshman Ally Tagudar, who was a part of the band Suncast, noted, “We played a small part of the song for the audition while the teachers watched us. It went quickly and wasn’t too bad.” She also plans on trying out next year because it was a really fun event for her. 

For many, performing wasn’t particularly appealing so they found opportunities working in tech. Freshman Brooke Romero, explained, “I did tech this year and I plan on doing tech next year as well. It’s a really fun experience, everyone is really welcoming, and you get to meet many people.” Although Brooke wasn’t onstage at all, she enjoyed staying after school and learning new things as well as getting to interact with classmates.