TOWAMENCIN – Kuhoo Verma knows the scope of talent that exists at North Penn High School, which makes winning this year’s talent show all the more momentous.

“It means a lot [to win] because there was  incredible talent on stage tonight [that] I was not aware of. It was a great honor to be competing against all these people who are really eligible for this,” said Verma.

North Penn is a large high school with a greatly diverse and talented student body. There are so many teens housed in the building all at once that it is very likely for one to see a new face every day.  This makes it hard to recognize the amazing talent that many of the students here exhibit, which is where the talent show steps in.

Hosted by SGA and advisor Mr. Kyle Berger, the talent show is a chance to showcase a variety of skills in which many students embody here at the high school. Everything from solo vocal performances and duets to dancing and guitar playing ignite the auditorium with amazement, which would be an understatement to Friday night’s show.

The show began by presenting the night’s Masters of Ceremonies, SGA President Katie Marino and Vice-President Kush Jituri, through a unique and comedic performance of Macklemore’s hit “Thrift Shop.” Jituri set the background music on piano as Marino took center stage to sing and dance in her “fur coat from the thrift shop down the road.”

At the conclusion of their production, Marino and Jituri took to the podium to introduce the first act. Who Needs Enemies? rocked the stage to their original song “My Gym Partner’s a Monkey” and got the crowd excited and  anxious for more.

Up next was junior Kuhoo Verma, who presented a solo performance of Etta James’ song “At Last” and stole the crowd with her outstanding vocals.

Seniors Jordyn Steinheiser and Alex Landis took the crowd’s attention next as Landis played piano to Steinheiser’s slowed down version of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”

After Landis and Steinheiser showcased their talent, it was time for Anthony Cubbage to have his turn. Cubbage served as a one man band as he sang his original song “Waves” while concurrently providing acoustics as well as drum and tambourine beats.

Next up was Mike Burns, Ali Corr, and Jimmy Youm, who offered a slowed version of The Fray’s well-known hit “Heartless.”

Another trio, consisting of Alex Koehler, Christina Baer, and Kevin Ellis, took the spotlight next to present vocals and acoustics to “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts.

Last to take the stage before intermission was Senior Zach Miller who provided vocals and acoustics to The Beatles song “Blackbird”, as previewed on the morning show on Tuesday.

The crowd took a quick ten minute break to reflect on all the talents shown thus far then took out their tickets to discover if they were a winner of one of many various gift cards and prizes being given out. Marino and Jituri returned to the stage to continue the show by introducing the next act to the audience, Hayley and the Fragile Hearts.

The band provided electric sound from guitars and vocals to their original song “How Did We Get Here?” After that, the first duet of the night sounded the auditorium. Sophomores Victoria Finley and Juliette Ship left all of their nerves aside and became the center of attention as they sang “Happy” by Leona Lewis in perfect harmony.

Jacqueline DePue took the crowd’s eye next as she expressed her talent through a solo dance to “Come Fly With Me” by Michael Buble.

Jon Richards then presented “Trojans” by Atlas Genius through vocals and acoustics.

The StinWynCal Family Band pumped up the crowd as they sung “I Know You Rider/ Ripple” by The Grateful Dead while simultaneously strumming an acoustic guitar, a ukulele, and another similar instrument.

Second to last was Nichole Sickel who showcased her talent of singing and playing guitar to Maroon 5’s chart-topping hit “Payphone.”

Last but not least were Steven Kang, Ellen Shi, and Alina Yu who shared their version of Beyoncé’s “Halo” with the intrigued viewers.

Then it was time for the audience to vote for their favorite act, and as they did so, Billy Andre, winner of the first ever Viewer’s Choice competition, sang “Don’t Wanna Be Like You” by Blood on the Dance Floor after asking his girlfriend, Kristina Tocco, to senior prom-who accepted in case you were wondering.

Moments later, Marino and Jituri announced the top three outstanding acts of the night. Taking third place was the trio of Steven Kang, Ellen Shi, and Alina Yu, who received a $50 Applebee’s gift card, honored with second place was the StinWynCal Family band, who received a $100 Applebee’s gift card, and Kuhoo Verma took the champion title, earning a $200 Applebee’s gift card.

The show was truly inspiring and was a great opportunity for students to express themselves and reveal their hidden talents.  It gave them a chance to be recognized by the thousands of students in the school, as well as those watching in the community. The SGA and all the acts put a lot of hard work into this event and it all paid off in the end. In the words of Mr. Kyle Berger, the show was “like a testament to the amount of talent we have in this school…and it was great!”