Has SEECS Got Talent? Yes, It Has!
On the evening of the 18th of October, the serene section of SEECS that surrounds its famous dolphin fountain was not serene anymore. Instead, it was filled with glimmering lights, food stalls, sound equipment, a set of judges, and a lively crowd facing a stage to be filled by eager, talented contestants. There was a cacophony of tunes, a colorful display of life, and an aroma of food — this was SEECS Got Talent, organized by SEECS’ Student Government Association (SGA).
You could say that the timing was right; it was the week after the OHTs which left many students a little bewildered by some of the results that came in. “SEECS Got Talent was a nice getaway from all of that,” said one of the students who attended. Areeb Amir Raza Chaudry Nisar Ali, a sophomore of BS Computer Science, added, “I found the performances impressive”.
There was a multitude of acts that were performed. Most of them were wonderful displays of singing that rung well to the ear, both in English and Urdu. The opening act was a cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect”, sung by Ali Tariq. Most notable of all was the second-place winner, Ahsen Ali, who sang a powerful rendition of “Tu Kuja Man Kuja” that left the crowd and judges thoroughly impressed.
Singing was not the only thing on stage; Naima Asif, a final year student, showed the skills of her mind by solving four Rubix cubes in less than three minutes, something that was especially exciting against a background of colored lights and progressively upbeat music.
This wasn’t her debut performance either; she also amazed crowds at a previous edition of the SGT where she solved two Rubix cubes in three minutes, only to break her own record this year.
If not the voice or the brains, motion played its part, too. Khwaja Abdul Ahad braced the audience for an electrifying, almost cyber-punk, a dance routine that offered as a blend of at least the robot and the breakdance. It also transitioned into an impressive dance cover of the King of Pop, Micheal Jackson. The audience liked that. Everyone liked that.
And, of course, as with many events, a random outburst of multiple people dancing to Nach Punjaban occurred throughout.
Nevertheless, vocal talent made itself the star of the show. A freshman, Arshan Tawhidi, blew everyone away with his skills on the mic, especially with his ability to hit the high note, when he sang Cold/Mess. Deservedly, he won third place.
Vocal talent didn’t only consist of singing — a few poems were recited, too. The one that elicited the best reaction was perhaps a humorous poem by Nawaz Niazi, who made friendly jibes at many things, especially the city of Lahore. So, it could be said that SGT had almost everything; sound, brains, motion, and humor.
The only thing missing is instruments, and that was taken up by the first-place winner of the entire competition – Ali Chishti, with his fingers engaging in a soothing piano melody: a medley of songs, including John Legend’s All of Me, played well alongside the noticeable cooling of Islamabad’s weather.
SEECS Got Talent was definitely an event that proved its own name, and it’s clear that first-timers to the event will be looking forward to it next year. This article could not do justice to all the talent that showed itself on that day, but it can serve as a good notice that you, perhaps, cannot underestimate what the students of SEECS and the SGA have to offer.
