Dean Johnsey

Students Hiram Pierce (11) and Megan Chong (12) present information about the IB program during Light Up the Night.

On Feb. 25, SHHS lit up the night sky, giving prospective students a glimpse of what the school has to offer during Light Up the Night. Behind all the booths and performances lie the hard-working SHHS students who represent the school in the best way possible.

Sarah Cuerbo (11) performed twice for the Jazz Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble near the student union. Drumline performed their show for the winter season while jazz showcased three charts: ‘Foundation Issues’, ‘Downtown Tango’, and ‘No School Like the Old School.’ Cuerbo expresses the challenges and enjoyment she gets from being in both programs.

“A difficulty that [I] faced was just getting everything out in time to perform. Both percussion and jazz require a lot of equipment for set up and we were kind of in a time crunch,” Cuerbo said, “I enjoyed Light Up the Night a lot. I like playing music for other people and with these ensembles, but I also got to see a lot of other cool stuff, like theater performances.”

In the theater, Safiya Dave (11) performed to the songs of ‘Suddenly Seymour’ and the ‘Prologue’ of SHHS’s upcoming musical, “Little Shop of Horrors”. Dave was a newcomer to theater, she faced many obstacles with stage fright and confidence.

“This is my first performance as a part of theater, and one of the challenges I faced was nerves and anxiousness right before the performance. Thankfully, [I] had a lot of people I could confide in to help me push through that. I [also] had friends and family in the crowd who were there to cheer me on,” Dave said, “The highlight of the night was after I overcame my fear and just had fun on stage doing something I enjoy.”

Megan Chong (12), got to interact with students and parents as a representative of the International Baccalaureate program, known for its rigorous curriculum.

“I had a really good time! It was nice having the opportunity to clear some doubts about starting high school and whether or not the IB program would be for [those interested] It was kind of a full circle moment as well, because I remember being a freshman sharing the same worries and doubts as them, such as work load, how much to commit to, time management, etc,” Chong said, “I had a lot of fun! I really enjoy sharing my experiences with parents and students alike and I hope others experience it as well.”