An edge, a leap of faith, breath shaking as they look out across a sea of faces, the music starts, the lights blast on.

Utica students shocked the audience with a display of skill and bravery. The show opened with Jane Ellen performing the song The Water Is Wide.

She held the audience’s attention and gave the viewers a showing of what they were in store for throughout the rest of the show. After being in lockdown for so long, the talent show is a great way to improve morale.

“I think the talent show boosts school spirit,” senior Jordy Wurth said, “and brings everyone together.”

The students of Utica High School show spirit in many ways. For some students it’s through singing, others prefer to act, and then there are the dancers or break-dancers of course.

For this particular senior, this year’s show was more than just about the dancing, “It was a trip down memory lane,” senior Antonio Capeij said, “It’s been five years since I’ve danced, but once I heard the music I got my groove on.”

Just because they got on stage doesn’t mean this year’s talented kids didn’t have doubts.

“It had been a while since I had been on stage,” Wurth said. “I was really nervous.”

But despite being nervous, students appeared one after the other on stage. Fear is a cage and the key is repetition.

If you go on stage once, it will not be as bad the second time, and if you get into a habit of something then you wouldn’t have to have fear of it.

“It can give you confidence in yourself,” junior Ema Mcmillan said, “for future attempts on stage.”

Having a lack of fear about public speaking not only can help you to be good in a talent show, but it could help you down the road in your life as well.

“If kids can get over their fear of public speaking and performing,” sophomore Max Lauderback said, “it could help them go farther in life than they had thought they could before, especially if they are going into management of some kind.”

The talent show is a great way to improve the skill of speaking in front of crowds. If anyone is interested in going into careers with the possibility of public speaking, then the talent show or other school performance events are great ways to help.

“I was happy with how the show went,” senior Antonio Capeij said. “But if there was one thing I’d change it would be the preparation beforehand since there was a delay between some of the acts.” Even though it wasn’t perfect, and there were some mistakes, overall, the students of Utica High school do not regret it.

Even though the talent show only comes once a year, it never fails to leave an impact. Students and teachers alike that were able to attend the show will be able to hold that memory forever, good or bad.

Until next year, all people can do now is wait and prepare. One thing can be said for sure, those who participate once again next year will demonstrate improvement, because they are Chieftains, and proud. Pride is said to cause people’s downfall, but for us Chieftains, it brings strength.