- CuperTeens Got Laughs took place at the Cupertino Community Hall on Nov. 23.
- In collaboration with Cupertino Mayor Liang Chao, freshman Bingchen Hu brought local clubs and organizations to perform stand-up comedy, magic tricks, shaolin kung fu and more.
- The event was a success and Hu and Chao plan to make it an annual event.
Students from clubs across FUHSD performed at the first-ever CuperTeens Got Laughs on Nov. 23. Entirely organized by volunteers and students, the event was held at the Cupertino Community Hall and gave performers a platform to present comedy skits, put on magic shows and showcase music skills to a full audience. The event was themed “No pressure, just laughs!”
As part of Cupertino Mayor Liang Chao’s 2025 initiatives, the event was sponsored by the City of Cupertino, which provided the facility for the show and made the event free for both performers and attendees. Performers from Lynbrook included Magic Club and Guitar Club. Homestead’s Ballet Club and Drama Club also performed.
The event was initiated by freshman Bingchen Hu in an effort to bring people together and give teens a place to have fun. The theme emphasizes that both performers and the audience should approach the show lightheartedly.
“We created this theme because performances are usually high-pressure,” Hu said. “Many people want to be the best. But we want to emphasize that this isn’t a competition. This is just a fun performance where everyone can laugh.”
Hu met Chao at Bobateeno, a social event for youth clubs and organizations, in August, where he performed stand-up comedy. Chao encouraged Hu to host an event inspired by his comedy. Over the next few weeks, Hu communicated with Chao to find a suitable site and date for the event. He then contacted over 100 clubs from schools around the community and asked them to perform. Finally, he designed a website and filmed a promotional video with Chao to bring further attention to the event.
“One issue was that we had to get people to believe that this was a real event because this is a new idea,” Hu said. “Many clubs had a difficult time believing that it was a real event. So we created a website with Cupertino City’s approval and included their badges.”
Each performer spent the weeks after signing up perfecting their performances. Clubs at Lynbrook used their meetings and additional time outside of school fine-tuning their performance.
“My hope is that my performance was able to lift people out of whatever they’re worried about,” junior and Magic Club president Sarayu Bhavaraju said.
The event was largely successful and had an even higher turnout than Hu had expected. Students and parents from all around the community filled the community hall.
Hu hopes to make this event the first of many by establishing CuperTeens Got Laughs as a recurring event.
“It was wonderful to see so many talented teens bring laughter to the audience,” Chao said. “I hope CuperTeens Got Laughs will become an annual tradition that everyone in our community can look forward to.”
