This year we celebrated the incredible talents and cultures that shape our community here at Timpview. We enjoyed an assembly showcasing the creativity, enthusiasm and pride of students. From niche skills to vibrant heritage, performers represented unique passions and told colorful stories.
William Whipple kicked off the assembly with an impressive act of balance on his unicycle, which impressed the audience immediately.
Lovely Nanu then graced us with her beautiful vocals, singing “So Easy (To Fall In Love).” Before the end of the song, she invited the audience to join her, filling the auditorium with voices singing the last chorus. “I loved Lovely’s performance!” said an anonymous junior.
The following acts brought the Latinos in Action club to the stage. LIA members Alexis and Enzo performed a sweet song, singing in Spanish and playing guitars together. They were followed by a lively mash up of Latino dances and bright flags. Later in the assembly, we also got to hear the Timpview’s mariachi club perform. Ana Naranjo’s stunning voice was accompanied by a beautiful ensemble of violins, trumpets, a guitar and a bass.
Regarding her performance, Ana Naranjo said, “I’m just so thankful to be able to perform at Timpview with students who take time out of their lunches to practice such a beautiful part of our culture. In our club there are people from many Latin countries, and some that aren’t Latino. It’s amazing! I love being able to share our culture through music, especially with a song as sweet and beautiful as Amor Eterno.”
Ryan Clarke and Quincy Perry performed a beautiful duet of “Stay,” wowing the audience with their strong harmonies and gorgeous vocals. They were followed by the entertaining voice impression monologue from Alexander Burt, who impersonated characters from Toy Story.
Oliver Jefferies, who performed a beautiful piece on the piano while showcasing his singing skills, was followed by the k-pop club. They impressed the audience with their iconic dance moves and spunky style. Sully Giles then delivered a phenomenal solo rendition of “Dancing On My Own.” An anonymous senior said, “He did an amazing job singing.”
Emmeline King excited the crowd with an original song which she sang as she accompanied herself on guitar. Many people I talked with said they adored her performance. “Emmeline’s guitar song was great!” said junior Talia Jarvis. Emmeline was followed by Tristan Lee, whose performance was jaw-dropping. His speed and skill were evident as he performed on the drums in true marching band fashion.
After all the amazing talents we got to see, we were left with one more group. Arguably the fan favorite, the People of the Pacific club truly brought down the house. They presented their exciting traditional dances with passion and elegance. From lively and colorful to graceful and synchronized, the unique movement and bold rhythms created a high-energy finale to the event.
While we all enjoyed the assembly, aspects of it have led to some students’ criticism. “I thought it was cool, however, I thought it was low-key weird how they combined the talent show with the cultural assembly, and how they didn’t let the language classes perform,” explained junior Noelle Hoopes.
Oliver Temant, a sophomore who performed with the mariachi, said, “I strongly dislike that they cancelled the multicultural assembly and said [cultural performers] could audition for the talent show.”
This new arrangement also frustrated other participants who had to cut their performances to fit the 2.5 minute time limit.
“I feel like because they were combined, fewer people were able to perform, whether it was to share their talent or their culture,” expressed senior Kennedy Dalley, “I missed the Chinese dragon dance. That one is always my favorite.” Having done Chinese immersion since first grade, junior Rena Combs agreed with Dalley, saying how she wished they could’ve kept at least one Chinese performance.
Senior Lydia Miller believed that combining the talent show and cultural assembly really seemed to take away the meaning from both of them. “I wish they would’ve included more culture performances since it is culture week.”
Despite the changes, it was still a fun show, especially thanks to everyone who put in the time to prepare for and participate in it both in and behind the scenes. It’s great that students still got the opportunity to experience some awesome performances from cultures around the world.
