Students, faculty take stage in new talent show

This year, the Student Alumni Association had a challenge. Its goal was to improve student involvement in the Homecoming events. The Special Events division of the SAA came up with a solution: a talent show.

It created “IU’s Got Talent,” a free show open for students, staff and faculty to put their performing skills to the test.

The show will be at 7 p.m. today at Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union. “IU’s Got Talent” is a revamped version of the previous Homecoming spirit show, “Yell Like Hell,” said special events members of the SAA.

“‘Yell Like Hell’ limited performances to only skits and dances that incorporated the Homecoming theme,” said junior Kara Brooner, one of the special events directors.

The SAA said it decided to change the format of the spirit show to a talent show in order to attract different types of acts and encourage more students to attend.
  
“We kept some of the same elements — the judging panel of IU faculty and the special performance by Straight No Chaser — but we decided to expand the original idea into a campuswide talent show instead of a ‘spirit show,’” Brooner said. “There are so many people that attend IU whose talents might go unnoticed. We wanted to give them all a chance to perform at our event.”

The winner will be granted a performance at the IU Dance Marathon in addition to a cash prize.

The event itself is not a fundraiser. However, the SAA’s IUDM dancers will be taking donations at the door.

To participate, students had to attend mandatory auditions for the event in which they were required to develop a two-to-five-minute skit. All skits should include a theme relating to or focused on Homecoming 2011: Rocktoberfest.

“Since auditions are over, I can tell you that there has been unbelievable talent ranging from dance to band performances to rapping,” Brooner said. “The talent pool definitely exceeded my expectations. This is going to be an exciting show to watch.”

Scott Diebel, a sophomore marketing major, is one of the performers who made the cut for the show. He said singing has always been part of his life. However, majoring in business doesn’t give him many opportunities to perform.

“I decided to get involved with ‘IU’s Got Talent’ because I wanted an opportunity to perform again and to contribute to IU in a way that I don’t usually get to anymore, but mostly because I love performing and because I miss it,” Diebel said.

Diebel will be singing “Wagon Wheel” by Bob Dylan for the show.

“I don’t have any tricks or gimmicks, just me doing what I like to do,” Diebel said. “I’m not really interested in winning as much as I am interested in providing a fun, genuine performance that the audience will enjoy. If I can do that, I will be happy.”

The judging panel of three faculty members will grade performances on a set of five criteria: stage presence/professionalism, technical ability, creativity/originality, appearance/costumes/props and entertainment value/crowd response.

An act can receive a total of 10 points for each criterion, bringing the total possible points to 50. The results will then be tallied and a first-, second- and third-place winner will be chosen.

Eric Love, director of the Office of Diversity Education, served as a judge for “Yell Like Hell” for the last four years and is returning to the panel for “IU’s Got Talent.”

“I love being involved in Homecoming activities,” Love said. “It’s a way to connect with students I don’t see every day and also encourage diverse student populations to get involved.”

Love said he is expecting a good show.

“I know the show will be incredible,” Love said, “The organizers have worked very hard to put everything together, and I encourage everyone to come out and support ‘IU’s Got Talent’ and all of the Homecoming events.”