Hill wins people’s choice, step team wins overall
Talent shows can provide a great opportunity to see fellow peers shine in new and unfamiliar ways, outside of the typical classroom environment.
On Friday, Feb. 2, Royal Brougham Pavilion transformed into a complete concert venue to host Seattle Pacific University’s annual talent show. The show, hosted by STUB, gave students a platform to display their unique abilities
Rock-and-roll bands, solo singers, soccer tricks, hip-hop and step-dancing, were among some of the talents showcased this year. Each of the performers had to audition in order to earn a spot in the show.
Every act embraced their unique abilities, whether that be through dance, song or the movement of a soccer ball; all showed their immense pride in their craftsmanship as performers.
Honey Lavender kicked off the night with covers from The Police, Portugal, The Man and Billie Holiday. Sophomore music therapy major Audrey Cosgrove served as the lead vocalist for the band.
“It was a ton of fun getting to do what we all love and show people what we are passionate about,” Cosgrove said.
Following Honey Lavender, SPU’s hip-hop dance crew Ante Up, took the stage and paid homage to both old and new tracks. The song selection ranged from throwback Beyonce to Bruno Mars’ new remixed version of “Finesse” feat. Cardi B.
Other acts from the night included the free stylings of soccer by Riley Richards and an original song called “Waves” performed by Alia Haro on the ukulele. Amman Michael shared his original rhymes and Vice President of Intercultural Affairs Melissa Del Rio shared her story with “Ako Ito.”
The final act of the night, VOIDS, brought much of the audience to their feet as people made their way near the stage to sing and dance to the band’s cover of Paramore. The band is comprised of Jacob Yarborough, Arie Martinet, Jonah Bufford and Nick Burton.
Emcees Luke Faraquhar, Corey Tang and Ana Karimi warmed up the audience and kept them entertained between acts with humorous banter and conversation with the judges.
Although all of the acts had something unique to offer, the step team, known as B², received first place overall for the night. The group was comprised of junior Nathan Samayo, sophomores Omni Lott and Shelby Perkins, and first-years Anthony Heaster, Sawa Tecle, Jade Hill and Aden Yilma.
Jaws dropped to the floor when they began their energetic routine. This group made their presence evident with moves in unison and great command of the stage.
“I thought that they had a cohesive performance; their performance really showed what a revitalized group they are and it was beautiful to see them all enjoying themselves on stage,” sophomore Ally Meritt said.
Hill, who performed as a part of the step team, also performed her own cover of the worship song “Lovin’ Me.” Hill’s vocal range and heart for the words behind the song captured the audience and held them throughout her performance, earning her the People’s Choice Award for the night.
The words of the song were of gratitude to God for his love saying: “And I know there were times that you probably shouldn’t, but I thank You for always lovin’ me. And I know anyone else they probably wouldn’t, so I thank You for always lovin’ me.”
When asked what being chosen for this award meant to her, Hill responded by saying, “My main goal was to spread the love of Christ through song and I feel as though I did exactly that. God deserves all of the glory; I just wanted Him to use me.”
At the end of the night, Hill won first place overall, with both her step team and the People’s Choice Award, for which she felt very honored.
She said the song was important to her because not everyone knows how lovable they are, but God truly knows your worth. This was a great reminder to those in the audience about the importance of loving one’s self the way that God does.
Another unique aspect of the night was the presentation of the People of Promise, which is an award given to students that embody the mission of SPU. These people were carefully selected by their classmates and show a commitment to Christ, great involvement on and off campus, and display strong academic achievement.
Among these included: seniors Destinee Nelons and Courtney Rutzer, juniors Melanie Campbell and Nathan Samayo, sophomores Ephrata Siyum and Rachel Weisz, and first-year Sareaya Wade.
Friday night highlighted some of the most unique talents of Seattle Pacific, but also allowed students the opportunity to share their God given gifts to glorify Him and represent their school with pride.
