Puttin’ on the Hitz (POTH) is back and better since the event was virtual last year. Senior planning (Splanning) hosted the annual POTH on Dec. 16 in the auditorium.

POTH is a competition between individual acts, group acts and class acts for the chance to win $100. This event is usually a lip-syncing contest, but it was transformed into a dance competition due to the restrictions with masks. 

POTH is known for its comedic hosts and video skits in between performances run by Splanning. This year the MCs for the first act were senior Jay Bhanot and senior Surya Udayshankar. The second act MCs were senior Amanda Slud and senior Ethan Fayne. Fayne said, “Although behind the scenes it was very hectic at times, the end product of POTH was definitely worth it. I didn’t know how much effort actually goes into making that one day possible and it was amazing to see all of our [Splanning’s] hard work pay off, along with all the other acts of course. Being an emcee was exhilarating and definitely scary at times, but it was cool to see and hear the audience’s reaction to our jokes and commentary.”

The theme of POTH this year was reality television. Each short skit was related to reality television, from a spin-off of a Kardashian episode to a Dance Moms episode. 

The night started with individual acts. The performances ranged from K-pop to Bollywood. This year the winners of POTH for the individual solo act were freshman Jared Edwards in first place, junior Elieen Yang in second place and junior Emma Song in third place. Edwards said, “This year’s POTH was super fun and I really hope tons more people from every grade level do it next year. I’m so happy I won.”

Next was the group acts. This year the group PRISMA, a K-pop group, won. They practiced for a month leading up to this performance. Performer Yang said, “We’re glad that our efforts paid off to make a cool performance.”

The final and most competitive round is the class acts. Each year the classes go head to head, competing for the win. This year the juniors brought it home with an impressive win. The sophomores followed second.  

Other clubs were able to perform as well. Poms, girls’ soccer, Woottonettes, Student Government Association and National Honors Society performed. The Woottonettes danced to holiday songs, including the iconic ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ from Mean Girls. They included the crowd at the end of their performance and everyone started singing along. Woottonette and senior Nate Jacobs said, “I’m so happy we were able to perform in POTH. Although it was a lot of preparation I had a good time and really brought spirit to our school. I am looking forward to the spring pep rally where we will perform again.” 

Overall, POTH was a success for everyone who participated and the audience. Everyone was required to wear a mask so that POTH could remain safe. It was a great way to connect with the community safely.