Four Fremont Union High School District schools come together to present a handful of talented acts
The talent that surrounds us at MVHS is incredible…but redundant. It is only when one takes those redundant talents and broadcasts it to those who have yet to see it, that a show becomes worth a watch.
Four schools, one auditorium, fourteen acts, one Yeshar Hadi emcee and an enormous number of enthusiastic FUHSD high school students.
On April 9, Interact hosted the seventh annual International Night in order to raise money for Rotary District 5170’s cause this year, End Polio Now, an organization focused on eradicating polio worldwide. The expectations for the night were nothing more than another Battle of the Bands or Open Mic Night, but Cupertino High School, Homestead High School, Lynbrook High School and MVHS brought their best acts to a full audience in the MVHS auditorium.
The show opened with CHS’ Tyler Mellen rocking out on the guitar. One man, one cord and one amp created an electric groove that caused old men to plug their ears.
Some acts were repeats from the MVHS Diversity Day assembly, but the change of atmosphere produced a notable difference to the quality of each number. For the Chinese dance group that performed "Red is Red, Green is Green," the auditorium enhanced the calming experience that the chaotic gym failed to provide. Six graceful girls, six green peacock dresses and six glowing red umbrellas boasted the Chinese cultural background on stage. However, for Raas, the auditorium setup detracted from the routine, specifically the twelve ladies’ formations, smiles and energy.
What really made the show unique were the sets that could not have been found anywhere else. Marimba Duo was a interesting twist to regular music as Emily Liu and Megan Fong of Homestead played marimba, a mix between a keyboard and a xylophone, with glowing sticks so quick, that the sticks became blurs in the dark. Two girls, two marimbas and countless blurs of glow. CHS’ Wii Dance with Kevin Chen and Colin Boon was a humorous America’s Best Dance Crew style routine with two guys, two fedoras and two bow ties. Saratoga High School and MVHS joined together, forming Team Imagination with Tomer Assaf, Alex Shung, and Eric Chiang, as they uncovered Tricking, an underground sport full of kicks, flips, splits and poses with a martial arts feel. Three strong guys, three pairs of loose pants and numerous killer stunts wowed the onlookers.
A personal favorite of the night was A World on a String, presented by LHS’ John Chow, the sixth best yo-yo player in the nation. One smiling boy, one yo-yo, a crazy amount of gravity-insulting yo-yo spins around his body and an infinite number of jaw drops in the audience. Brown Sound is now famous on campus and truly requires no elaborate explanation. With an added musician, the band still presented the same selective style of metal and techno. The first impression of Synthesis, comprised of CHS’ Chen, Emily Jang, Eric Jang, Timothy Yu, Takuma Matsui, was a bunch of musicians showing us what they learnt in orchestra class. Yet they twisted classical music and performed a medley of pop culture songs. Even at half the size of the original Synthesis group that won the IDC Talent Show in February, the musicians. One violin, one alto sax, two cellos and full singing accompaniment by the audience.
MVHS, Saratoga High School, and Archbishop Mitty’s Olivia Chock, Robin Oyung, Jasper Wu, Sam Hui, Nicole Chen and Jenny So were a part of an a cappella group, Tensync, that harmonized to Gnarles Barkley and The Black Eyed Peas. Two red ties, four red and black dresses and six crystal voices. Finally, CHS’ Fresh She Is, comprised of Lenis Kim, Brooke Preston, Jenn Ripley and Christine Moon, synchronized impressive hip-hop moves and showed passion in their moves. Four girls, four hooded sweatshirts and plenty of of swagger.
An act that never becomes redundant and never loses fans was bhangra. Lynbrook High School, Cupertino High School, and MVHS flaunted their teams, but we all realized why MVHS Bhangra was placed last on the set list: they left a lasting impression that made one want to jump up on stage and join them.
As if the show itself wasn’t enough, the night ended with a delicious buffet of everything from Chipotle to samosas that left FUHSD with stuffed stomachs.
Four schools, one auditorium, fourteen acts and a delightful mix of unknown talent.
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