On December 13, John P. Stevens High School held its annual JPS talent show at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, held by the JPS student council and their advisor Ms. Babbin. This year, the talent show was unlike any other. Upon arrival, the students were sorted into the Hogwarts Houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Like the audience, the talent show participants were part of the different houses too, and supported their respective participants. 

During the first round of competitions, participants performed dances, played piano and guitar, sang, and even performed Rubik’s Cube tricks. In between performances, the event hosts––Aryan Nayak, Anjali Suryavanshi, Bill Tang, and Isha Sanakkayala–– asked the audience trivia questions about Harry Potter. The objective of these trivia questions was simple: if the audience member answered the question correctly, their Hogwarts house would gain points. Depending on the house, the number of points given would vary. However, points would be deducted if the member answered the question incorrectly. These rules increased the game’s stakes and competition between houses and created a lively and energetic environment.  

After long consideration, the judges made their decision. The three participants who made it to the second round were Carter Williams who performed Rubik’s Cube tricks, Diya Parthiban who sang a pop song, and Upasana Banerjee who performed a contemporary dance. All the performances were extraordinary. Choosing a winner was no easy task.

“It was a unique experience having different members perform with such a unique talent that demonstrates their capabilities. To me, this shows that all people have unique talents they possess and are willing to go in front of an audience to prove their potential. On top of that, the Harry Potter theme suited very well and felt immersive” said junior Keefer Kohli. 

Senior Upasana Banerjee was awarded as the winner of the JPS Got Talent 2024. She swept the audience away with her contemporary dance performance. 

Upasana Banerjee started her dance journey at a very young age, “since kindergarten, I have been participating in talent shows and performances presenting the experience I’ve accumulated across 13 years of dance training. Going into JPS Got Talent for the first time as a senior, I was not expecting to even place, let alone win, as I was aware of the vast amount of talent and expertise we had in this school regarding performance skills.” 

This event could have not been successful without the Student Council members and board members. They spent countless hours making decorations and coordinating with the middle school to get space. Fortunately, all their hard work paid off. They were able to host an amazing event that fostered lots of cheer and laughter. 

“Planning and hosting JPS Got Talent this year was challenging as our only access to Woodrow Wilson Middle School was on the day of the show, making decorating and rehearsing much more difficult. However, I believe that our show was a great success! I loved listening and watching all twelve groups perform their incredible talents, and I couldn’t have done it without my amazing co-hosts––Aryan, Anjali, and Isha––and every member of the Executive Board, along with Ms. Babbin and my fellow Officers!” Said event host Bill Tang.