By Natalia Shepelavy (?)

On Friday, January 9th, Central hosted its beloved Central’s Got Talent – a show where the faculty at Central get to showcase their talents to the senior class. Before diving into the performances, it is important to shout out the hard work of the student judges and hosts who took the time to help organize the event, alongside the 285 class officers. One host, Naomi Akbar (285), noted, when discussing her decision to become a host, that “it was a co-existing system where you have to work with students and the faculty,” emphasizing how important it is to have not only engaging acts, but hosts who can entertain the audience, make jokes, and overall put the show together. She highlighted that the emcees were “a major part in the success of the show.” This is an event seniors look forward to all year, and it did not disappoint! 

The show kicked off with Mr. Nadel, a history teacher, playing a piano medley of student-requested songs: “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, “All of Me” by John Legend, and “Golden” from the movie KPop Demon Hunters. Mr. Nadel was one of the crowd favorites; when the judges scored him two eights and one nine, the crowd chanted in protest, saying he deserved a ten. Following his act was math teacher Mr. Grow, who performed a stand-up routine that the crowd loved, ending with a beautiful performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” The student judges awarded this performance with two nines and an eight. But the comedy didn’t end there – Spanish teacher Ms. Recio also performed a stand-up routine inspired by her experience teaching Spanish at Central. She poked fun at her students, receiving relatable laughter from the audience. The judges gave her a six and two sevens. The next performance was the first song from the teacher band, consisting of English teachers Ms. Peeples and Ms. Rendsburg, math teacher Mr. Zak, and music teacher Mr. Blazer. Ms. Rendsburg led the band in her version of Green Day’s “Basketcase,” earning an energetic sing-along from the senior class. Not only did the crowd love their performance, but so did the judges – the band was awarded three tens, the highest possible score. The band played another song after, but this time only with Mr. Zak, Mr. Blazer, and physics teacher Mr. Martin, who sang “The World I Know” by Collective Soul. His performance was incredibly moving and was given two nines and a ten. The next performer was English teacher Mr. Nagy, who did an interpretive dance to the titular song from The Last Unicorn. This performance was another crowd favorite and led the crowd to chant for “tens!”, which the judges unanimously agreed with. Up next were history teachers Mr. Humes and Mr. Neuman, who did a rap battle dressed up as former presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. The audience ultimately voted Lincoln (Mr. Humes) as the winner of the battle, with the performance earning one seven and two eights. Next, beloved Assistant Principal Mr. Myrick, dressed in pajama pants, sang a heartfelt rendition of “Again” by Janet Jackson. He engaged with the audience, hopping off the stage as the crowd began to light up the room with their phones’ flashlights. The judges gave this performance two tens and a nine. In a quick mood change, security officer Ms. Diego lip-synced to Meek Mill’s “Nightmares,” which once again got the crowd singing along. She put immense energy into her performance and was rewarded with two eights and a nine. Following Ms. Diego were three counselors – Ms. Wardlaw, Ms. Sharp, and Ms. Hart – who performed a fully choreographed dance in matching shirts to “Push It” by Salt-n-Pepa. The crowd was impressed by their synchronized performance, and the judges gave them two tens and a nine. 

The teacher band returned for two more performances, the first being led by Ms. Peeples. She performed “Zombies” by The Cranberries. Despite admitting to her nerves behind the scenes about her performance, she knocked it out of the park as another crowd favorite. They sang along and even booed the judges when they gave her two nines and a 10, chanting for all tens. After, Mr. Zak led the band in his rendition of the iconic “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. Everyone in the audience knew the song, and his performance was electric. The judges gave the performance three tens. The show ended with class sponsor and history teacher Mr. Horwits and English teacher Mr. Wenger guiding the audience along in the Eagles’ fight song and the Central school song. 

After much suspense, the judges crowned the winner of the 2026 Central’s Got Talent… Mr. Zak! In second place was Mr. Nagy, and in third was AP Myrick. The winner, despite having won Central’s Got Talent more times than he can count, remained extremely humble. For starters, Mr. Zak shared intriguing behind-the-scenes information that the band’s first time playing these songs together was on that stage in front of the seniors! Zero practices, but every performance sounded flawless. Then, when asked about his win, he said, “I did not win. It was a whole band. It wouldn’t have been anything if it weren’t for the whole band out there.” And, despite the winners getting prizes (Mr. Zak got Phillies swag and a promise of Phillies tickets), Mr. Zak emphasized that the prizes are not what compels him to do the showcase every year; it’s the experience. 

The senior class extends its gratitude to all the teachers who performed on that stage for their bravery and willingness to share their talents with their students. Once again, it is important to appreciate the student judges, hosts, and officers who helped run the event, as well as the stage crew, for their assistance in keeping the show running smoothly. While not everyone may have won the first-place prize, every teacher should be incredibly proud of themselves and look forward to impressing 286 next year!