The Holland Performing Arts Center hosted the first annual “Living the Dream” music, poetry, and dance competition on Martin Luther King Jr. day. A total of 36 high school students from different schools competed in five categories; poetry: eracism (a combination of the words erase, and racism), vocal music, poetry II: #BEKIND and BRAVE and interpretative dance.

Three freshmen from the school’s hip-hop club participated in the vocal music category where they voiced their opinion through their performance of an original diss rap on President Donald Trump.

The trio, consisting of freshmen Mohamid Ibrahim, Londyn Henry and James Williams, ended the day without placing, but all three plan on competing again their sophomore years.

Before performing in front of a live audience, Ibrahim, Henry and Williams had the opportunity to perform in city hall in front of Mayor Jean Stothert.

“It was fun, and we did it and I think it was pretty cool,” Williams said. “We are going to try again next year and we’re going to come back hard and stronger. So, next year we’re coming with the heat.”

Three students placed in the vocal music category. Central High’s Willia Rauch won first place, Anne Devries from Westside placed second and Isabelle Thompson from Cornerstone ended in third.

Seeing the three freshmen not place in the top three was a huge shock to the audience because the group had received the one of the largest reactions from the crowd.

Audience members were standing and cheering the trio on.

“I felt excitement and I felt a rush being up there with the audience to applaud me and my crew,” Henry said.

The person behind the idea of the competition was the city’s director of the Human Rights and Relations Department, Dr. Franklin Thompson

During the competition and between the performances, Thompson made remarks about how much he loved being there to witness the students perform.

“I felt very proud to see young people step up and take leadership,” Franklin said. “That night, not only were they competing, they were also teaching and instructing, and that part made me very happy.”

The general consensus is that contestants and audience members plan on going back to the competition next year to perform and witness creations made to symbolize the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. With the first annual “Living the Dream” competition being a success, the people that made the competition what it is hope that next year will be a greater hit with even more talented students and excellent performances.