NEIU's 2011 Talent Show Debuts Student Talent

NEIU's annual talent show was held on Sept. 29 in the auditorium, enticing its 18 contestants with cash prizes of $1,100 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place.

On the way inside the auditorium, everyone was handed a two-sided sign—one side read "I Can't Believe It!!! STOP Try Again Next Year" while the other side read "GO! You're A STAR!!!"—making it obvious that the audience was going to be an essential part of judging the contestants. From the start, every member of the audience was really into the talent show. Spectators made sure their voices were heard throughout the event, letting the judges know which performers they enjoyed watching and which ones they did not.

The event itself was clearly organized; throughout most of the show it took less than a minute to start one performance after another. In between the performances, the show's host, Stephanie Durant, gave away what she called "swag"—which was mostly free NEIU t-shirts. This was beneficial, because it kept the audience excited and eager throughout the show.

A large portion of the performers used musical instruments. One of the performances that the audience loved was a rendition of House of the Rising Sun by Laura Camacho and Wellington DaSilva. Both contestants sang as DaSilva played the piano. While it was clear that Camacho and DaSilva had fantastic stage presence, what was most impressive about their performance was that both the piano playing and the singing were constantly in sync.

Everyone seemed to have had a blast at the talent show, from the audience to the judges. At the end of the event, the judges chose the top three performances: in third place was Full Effect Dance Theater; in second place was the crowd favorite Camacho and DaSilva and in first place was Pdotme.

Overall, the majority of the performers displayed their own unique talent. Whether they played a musical instrument or danced, contestants were able to get the crowd moving and cheering—helping make the talent show a fun and memorable experience for all.