‘Rite Idea: Thanks, Shaker — We Needed That
Today’s a capella assembly was welcome, and students proved they can handle such chances
The House Jacks perform in the large auditorium during the second assembly period today.
Because we do not say it enough, good job, Shaker.
Today during second period, students were treated to a performance by The House Jacks, an a capella group founded by Deke Sharon, arranger and vocal producer of “Pitch Perfect,” and including Shaker Heights High School alumnus Austin Willacy (’87). Their arrangement of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” was adapted for the audition scene in “Pitch Perfect.”
This assembly was an important one for two reasons. For once, a class interruption had nothing to do with testing, or setting goals, or setting goals about testing, but instead allowed us to take a breather and enjoy something besides stressful academics. It was a good way to break up our long school day with something more original and creative than trigonometric functions and literary analysis. We commend the administration for allowing and arranging this enrichment.
The House Jacks’ performance was also important as a milestone for Shaker assemblies. While we understand that it may have put a time crunch on some teachers, students really enjoyed the performance and, above all, behaved themselves. Through this assembly, the student body has demonstrated that they can act civilly in a public space. They listened attentively and even participated with the members of the a capella group without any inappropriate behavior.
Maybe now that we have proven ourselves, we can have more opportunities like this one.
