Students and faculty crowded into the gym on March 27 for the annual Hoscars multicultural talent show, hosted by the student council and Global Empowerment and Outreach (GEO) club. Emceed by seniors Efrey Noten and Kenneth Zhang, the show revolved around a “Star Wars” theme, including references and decorations to the series.

After the 19 performances, a second assembly was held at the end of the day to announce the award-winning acts, as well as a surprise act.

Varun Cherukuri (12)

A celebrated returning performer from three years ago, Varun Cherukuri danced to a Michael Jackson medley, incorporating signature moves such as the Moonwalk. His act, which was left as a surprise until the end of the show, won best overall performance.

“I was really nervous the entire day until the show, but once on stage it was fun,” Varun said. “It’s cool to be able to get up in front of the entire school and showcase your talents.”

Students in the audience even held a sign reading “#TheReturn” before Varun’s act, expressing the excitement floating in the crowd.

Bollywood

Adding a multicultural aspect to the show, 14 seniors collaborated in performing a Bollywood Remix dance. Sporting traditional Indian clothing, the group danced to a series of popular cultural movie songs that had the crowd swaying and cheering with the beat.

“It was amazing performing with all my friends and family,” Adithram Rengaramachandran (12) said. “It also tied back to my Indian culture, which was nice.”

The “Imperial March” prize for the best dance was awarded to the Bollywood performance during the awards ceremony.

Teachers

Teachers collaborated in performing a song and dance rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Diane Main and and Carol Zink served as the lead singers while 11 other members of the faculty staged a routine in the background.

The performers were dressed in African tops, skirts, and headpieces to emanate the traditional and cultural feel to the music. The act later received the “Stormtrooper” award for the best group performance.

“The teachers’ act was really entertaining,” Manthra Panchapakesan (11) said. “It was fun seeing teachers out of their usual zone.”

MIT Logarhythms

After the awards were announced and the audience was preparing to leave, the emcees introduced a final surprise act: Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) very own male acapella group, the Logarhythms. Following a traditional warm up routine, the troupe leaped onto the stage, immediately welcomed with an astounding round of applause. They sang and danced to a series of five love songs, including the Logarhythms theme song, “We Are the Super Logs.”

Additionally, for one of their numbers, the group called up a volunteer from the audience, Namitha Vellian (10), and sang to her in a huddled cluster.

“I was really nervous at first, and my heart was palpitating,” Namitha said. “But the experience was super exciting.”

The Logarhythms held an acapella workshop open to all students following the show.

This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on April 4, 2014