For many college freshman, the start of the school year symbolizes the stress and excitement of a new beginning and life in a totally new environment. But for first years at New York University, the beginning of the year goes hand-in-hand with a treasured NYU tradition—the Reality Show! An event presented at all three portal campuses, the Reality Show aims to both showcase the musical talents of upperclassmen and give new students valuable advice about survival in their home campus and city. Aside from providing entertainment, the most important job of the Reality Show is to promote the Health and Wellness hotline as a lifeline for students.The Reality Show has only been performed at NYU Shanghai for three years, with the first-ever show performed by visiting New York students. However, the Reality Show: Shanghai has grown and expanded to include a unique Shanghai flair. “It showed a reflection and a vision of an idealistic future,” said sophomore James Bromley. The past Reality Show dealt with many of the topics covered in Orientation Week seminars, but in an engaging and exciting way. “It was the best way the sophomores could have welcomed the freshman class,” agreed sophomore Anurag Rakshit. “It gave an insight into our freshman year and the dynamics of our class.” The cast usually features twelve to fourteen students who spend their summer in New York City with NYU and NYU Abu Dhabi students. “We’re rehearsing three hours a day at Tisch, writing skits and songs,” said sophomore and cast member Cheryl Li. “It was super fun and definitely one of the most important memories in my life.” During rehearsals, the performers learn to integrate their personal experiences at college with advice for future freshman.In New York, the Reality Show was performed during Welcome Week. A huge hit with the incoming freshman class, topics covered in the show included race, consent, sexual identity, and more. “The audience was so engaged and receptive to the messages that we were trying to convey!” said NYU sophomore Kuhoo Verma. “They would feel empowered along with us when we stood up for the right thing or tried to spread messages of positivity.” Other members of the cast also noted the positive impact their performance had on the incoming students. “The freshmen were the most supportive audience we had so far,” remembered sophomore cast member MinJi Kim. “They actually knew and cared about these issues.”For Kim and other performers in New York, the most difficult part of the show was dealing with the very personal emotions brought up by singing about challenging issues. “As cast members, we write songs about what we went through, and singing songs that we can relate to would bring back the emotions in the events that happened in our personal lives,” said Kim. Through the performance, however, the cast was able to work through their experiences together and share their wisdom with incoming freshman. “We deliver crucial messages that are masked behind comedy and song, and I think that is what made our show so successful,” said Kim.With the success of the Reality Show at NYU, students here in Shanghai can look forward to a candid performance about college life, while also being entertained by friends and classmates. This article was written by Savannah Billman. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Cheryl Li