Written by Jacqueline Wong
Photos by Cathy Ha

 

The inside of UNLH buzzed with the excited voices of Honors students on Wednesday February 24 as they enjoyed the acts of the talented participants of University Honors first annual talent show. The brainchild of Jericha Viduya, a second year biology major, the show was also facilitated by Honors’ Cohort and Social Committees. Honors Leadership Committee (HLC) Vice President Luke Hatch was MC for the event, interacting with the audience in a jovial manner and introducing the acts, which included singing, piano-playing masters, a magic show, and a traditional Tahitian dance.

 

These impressive acts highlighted the other skills Honors students are known to be involved in at a high level outside of schoolwork. Even faculty joined the fun. Dr. Perring’s guitar and vocal talents were featured during his duet performance with Jericha, covering Phillip Phillip’s “Home.” Viduya praised her duet partner, saying “He is quite talented! I emailed him a song, he learned it on the guitar, and we practiced in his office for 30 minutes to an hour. Then we just jammed after. Being able to duet with your professor is, for a lack of a better word, so cool and rare! You start to see more of who they are and what they're capable of beyond the traditional classroom setting.” On the impact of the showcase, Viduya says that “events like these change your perspective about how Honors is just about research and GPA requirements. It reveals a dynamic that truly showcased the Honors community as a whole, and I believe that it is important to provide students the opportunity to express themselves.” True to her statement, Honors students are already looking forward to holding these showcases in the future.