By Lauren Nelson
Whether students are dressing up in different outfits, participating in the powderpuff game, watching the pep rally, or going to the actual homecoming football game, there is something for everyone for Homecoming.
The Friday morning events end with the variety show, a special tradition that showcases the many talents of the Upper School student body.
This year there was singing, dancing, and, for the fourth year in a row, Chase Hopkins’s magic. The show was hosted by seniors Wiliam Holmes, Knox Amos, and Ford Tedder, certainly an entertaining trio who made sure everyone was having fun.
Some fan favorites were Junior Chase Meyers, who performed a hip-hop dance to a mix of songs like Kendrick Lamar and Doechii. Chase got everyone fired up and excited as soon as her name was announced.
Another fan favorite was a duet with Cortland French and Tess Horner. The two sang ‘It Ain’t Me, Babe’ by Bob Dylan. Once Cortland began playing his guitar, and the pair started the song, everyone in the theater was mesmerized. Their voices blended perfectly together, and ‘It Ain’t Me, Babe’ was the perfect song choice for the variety show.
Early in the show, an unexpected performer took the stage,Mr. Newman. Mr. Newman, an English and newspaper teacher, shared his comedic take on students asking to go to the bathroom. He informed us how, when, why, and where we should use the restroom and included some jokes that made many laugh. Including a May I vs. Can I joke that most teachers got a chuckle out of.
A few students accompanied themselves in their performance, like Leigha McBride and Nikolas Hall. Leigha sang and played the piano to ‘Pretty Hurts’ by Beyoncé. Nikolas, on the other hand, played the guitar and sang ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’ by Lewis Capaldi.
One of the only non-singing acts was performed by senior Chase Hopkins. Chase performed a magic show, which was very intriguing to watch since many people had not seen a live magic show before. He performed card tricks, turning paper into money, and a special rope-cutting trick with the help of people from the crowd.
Two sets of siblings sang for the high school, Sophomore Ella and senior Olivia Jaje sang their own rendition of ‘Rainbow’ by Kacey Musgraves, with Ella playing the guitar and Olivia singing. Later, senior Frank Shaifer played the guitar and his brother Baer, a sophomore, sang to ‘Landslide’ by Fleetwood Mac, which was a popular song choice with the crowd. Both acts had amazing vocals that were accompanied beautifully by each sibling.
Finn Williams, Ava Tahmasebi Bakhtiary, and Lake Vinson also sang for the crowd. Finn sang ‘You Never Let Go’ by Matt Williams, Ava sang ‘Home Sweet Home’ by Mötley Crüe, and Lake sang ‘Danny’s Song’ by Loggins and Messina. Each act had its own unique touch and left a lasting impression to remember.
The last and final act of the Lovett variety show was the fan favorite all around: the band Yard Sale. Cortland French was lead singer and played guitar; Charlie Jones played bass; Frank Shaifer played lead guitar; Luke Darsey was on the drums; and James Izzard played piano. The five of them started their performance with ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd, then brought Olivia Jaje out to be their lead singer for ‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac. The crowd cheered them as they played a final song, ending the 2025 variety show with a bang.
