For one group, IU Sing has a happily ever-after

When Alpha Chi Omega songleader Emily Renfro heard her sorority’s name called as the winner of this weekend’s IU Sing, she couldn’t help but cry.

“I’m on cloud nine right now,” Renfro said.

Delta Chi songleader Grayson Palmer said he “could not breathe.”

Alpha Chi Omega sorority and Delta Chi and Theta Chi fraternities walked away as the winners of the 77th IU Sing, which took place Friday and Saturday in the IU Auditorium.

IU Sing is a musical skit competition sponsored by the IU Student Foundation. This year’s theme was “Ever After: A New Twist on an Old Tale” and required all 21 acts to take a well-known story or fairy tale and somehow twist the story line.

The first place team’s production, called “Emeralds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” took The Wizard of Oz and recast it in Hollywood, with Dorothy driving across the country alongside Michael Scott from “The Office” and the guys of “Night at the Roxbury.”

Alpha Delta Pi sorority and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity came in second place with their retelling of Romeo and Juliet, called “Back to Verona.”

Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Phi Kappa Tau and Alpha Tau Omega fraternities came in third.

Rounding out the top five were Delta Zeta sorority, Evans Scholars and Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity in fourth place and the Christian Student Fellowship in fifth.

In addition to overall team awards, Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Chi and Theta Chi won awards for outstanding choreography and best costumes, while Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Kappa Sigma were named “Best Entertainment” for earning the highest scores for entertainment from the judges.

Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority and Kappa Delta Rho and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternities won the George E. Schlafer Spirit Award, while the Christian Student Fellowship won the Steve Solie Production Points award for the fewest infractions prior to the production of IU Sing.

Joe Pomerening, one of nine judges for this year’s event and an IU professor, said he had a good idea of what he was looking for in a strong act.

“I looked for energy first and foremost, and also a focus on vocals and choreography,” Pomerening said. “I wanted them to be dynamic on and off stage.”

Though he said winners Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Chi and Theta Chi had “phenomenal costumes” and showed “drive from start to end,” he said every group impressed him.

“Every single group had a bright spot,” Pomerening said. “There was potential in every single group. I was tremendously entertained.”

Junior Erica Feldscher, a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, said all the groups were phenomenal.

“This is my second year watching, and the performances just keep getting better and better,” Feldscher said. “You can tell a lot of people have put a lot of work into this.”

This year, IU Sing steering committee member and senior Andrew Nicholson said IUSF decided to cap all act sizes at 80 participants, which he said was a change for the better.

“It has allowed songleaders to focus on members of their organizations that are musically talented,” Nicholson said.

Though tickets to the show did not sell out, Nicholson said, considering the current economic situation he was pleased with this year’s turnout.

IUSF will not have official fundraising numbers for a few weeks.

“You always wish for a solid show of support,” Nicholson said.

Responding to rumors that this was the final IU Sing, IUSF Assistant Director and IU
Sing Adviser Tricia Runkel said no official decision on IU Sing’s future was made.

“We definitely are in the process of thinking about restructuring for a better production,” Runkel said.

In the end, Pomerening said the value of IU Sing is an important part of the IU experience.

“It’s an amazing experience,” Pomerening said. “If people could see this, they’d really understand the unity on campus. It allows students to feel like they’re a part of
something beautiful.”