Students begin rehearsal for IU Sing

Fraternities, sororities and residence halls are teaming up for their own seven minutes “caught in the spotlight.”\nThe IU Student Foundation will host the 76th-annual IU Sing Feb. 22 and 23 at the IU Auditorium. Fraternities, sororities and residence halls are paired together to create a musical skit fitting with the theme “Caught in the spotlight.” Months of preparation will culminate in the two-night performance for an audience and select judges.\nThe members of the IU Student Foundation production staff have been assigned to different sub-committees covering the many issues involved with staging a production of this magnitude. Headed by the six members of the IUSF steering committee, weekly meetings have been taking place this winter to make sure everything is running smoothly. \nNow two weeks into the practice season, the song leader producers – members in charge of creating the performances – and steering committee members have begun to walk around to each of the 22 acts during their nightly practices. \nSenior Leslie Henderson, a member of the steering committee and head of the sponsorship and tickets sub-committee, said that “walk arounds” are a chance to give critiques, positive feedback and ideas on what to change before a final script is due to the steering committee Feb. 10.\nSenior Evelyn Davis, a member of the sponsorships and tickets sub-committee, said the teams are finishing up with donations and tickets are now being sold. The money raised for IU Sing provides scholarships that give the song leaders an opportunity to win one $500 scholarship and 11 $300 scholarships.\n“Production staff is a lot of work,” Davis said. “We want to make it more professional this year and more put-together .”\nThe Singing Hoosiers will perform at the beginning of the show, providing a common theme. Each act that follows will create a unique ending to the open-ended prompt. \nWith one month to go, the song leaders of each pair are meeting with their groups for two- to three-hour practices up to three times a week.\nFederica Lyford-Pike, a sophomore from the sorority Alpha Phi, is a song leader this year. Paired with the fraternity Kappa Sigma, she said she is enjoying the process so far.\n“We are working really hard to make it a fun experience and have a creative skit that the audience will enjoy,” Lyford-Pike said. “It’s an awesome feeling to know that my leaders and I have created a mini-musical and we are a part of the longest standing tradition at IU.”\nAlpha Gamma Delta song leader Annie Raeder said it is a lot of work, but it is going well. Paired with the fraternity Alpha Tau Omega, the song leaders not only meet with their pledge classes daily for practices but also attend mandatory weekly meetings.\nEach act risks point deductions for missed deadlines or meetings.\n“You have to take it one week at a time and focus on what is due that week so you don’t get overwhelmed,” Raeder said.