HOCO Night Rally
By Arik Sala
“No party’s fun without fireworks and Baja Blast,”... (read more)
“No party’s fun without fireworks and Baja Blast,” Naveya Barlow said Thursday night. On Thursday September 11th the high school held a night rally on the football field from 7 to 9 p.m. to prepare for the Homecoming game. The night rally was planned by the student government with help from Mr. Lloyd. In the rally there were performances from clubs like Band, SOS, POP Club, BSU, Asian Alliance, Cheer, Drill Team, and shoutouts for all the fall sports at West Jordan High School.
At the end of the rally they burned the WJ and had a beautiful fireworks show. In an Interview with an anonymous audience member they said, “I never thought I would get as much dopamine from a school event as I did at Disneyland". The rally had a large and enthusiastic crowd full of Teachers, Students, Parents, and WJHS supporters,
The Hoco Pep Rally brought all the viewers and performers together in one night. There was also a dance battle between all the Homecoming royalty nominees. It also had something for everyone like dance, sports, music, and fire to make sure everyone was hyped up. The rally showed how excited everyone was for the Homecoming game and Dance and their support for the Jags.
Spotlights, Camera, Action!
By Emery Balmforth
The three fates. Hamilton and Burr. A prima donna and her lover. Sodapop and Darryl. A fiddler on the roof. Timon and Pumbaa. What could possibly have them all?... (read more)
The three fates. Hamilton and Burr. A prima donna and her lover. Sodapop and Darryl. A fiddler on the roof. Timon and Pumbaa. What could possibly have them all? The lights come up in the choir room and we have our answer: the Spotlights Showcase!
Here at West Jordan, students have the opportunity to audition for an advanced musical theater class called Spotlights. The Spotlights Players learn about storytelling through theater and the skills they need to succeed as actors and actresses later in life. Instead of boring essays or trigonometry assignments, in this class they prepare pieces from various Broadway musicals. Then, they perform them at Spotlights Showcases throughout the year. If anyone ever thought that high schoolers can’t be good at musical theater, the Spotlights Players are here to prove them wrong!
Friends, family, and peers filed into the choir room (lit by—you guessed it—spotlights) for their chance to see the Players in action. First, Mr. Keith Evans, co-teacher of the class, told the audience the criteria for the students’ songs:
The piece had to be from a musical that won the Tony Award for Best Musical.
There had to be a “moment of realization” in the piece.
They had to use at least one prop.
Even though it was only the first showcase of the year, the talent was absolutely staggering! As the Spotlights Players took the stage, I enjoyed dizzying three-part harmonies from the fates in The Chips are Down, a hilarious lesson from our favorite savannah duo in Hakuna Matata, a grief-stricken revolutionary in Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, and many, many others. I certainly wasn’t the only one who was having fun; the crowd hooted, hollered, laughed, and cried. “The talent pool was incredible,” says audience member Carter Mann. “I wasn’t expecting that many people to be, like, that good. It made me feel things.”
But Spotlights isn’t only enjoyable from the outside. Students praise its educational value and friendly, supportive class members. “[Spotlights] is a really nice community,” says Michael Mortenson, who performed as Raoul in the song All I Ask of You. “It’s a very small group of people—we’re small but mighty. I love theater and it’s very enjoyable to be in.” Michael’s insight is evident in the way Players talked and joked with each other, socializing on the stage after the showcase was over. They’ve clearly formed a very tight-knit group. “I love that Spotlights is a very educational class and the whole community is very loving and kind,” says Camryn Ridley after performing a breathtaking piece from Sunset Boulevard. “We’re just so full of talent that we can give each other critiques and know that it comes from a place of love.”
On the whole, the Spotlights Players did a fantastic job. Going to a showcase was an amazing experience that I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in musical theater—or anyone who just wants to have a good time!
