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In a night scattered with singing, comedy and even a glow-in-the-dark hula hoop act, vocalists ruled Friday’s Lobos Got Talent.
Contestants were judged in four categories: showmanship, creativity and artistic interpretation, quality of the act, and overall performance. Each category was worth 10 points, for a total of 40 points. Judge Leah Black said she considered technicalities, but valued originality above all.
“Even if you’re doing a song that’s been done, as long as you make it your own it’s really good,” she said.
Ryan Lindquist, associate director of the Student Activities Center, said the showing of talent was less diverse than previous years.
“This was an extreme year, as far vocalists go,” he said. “We had some very talented vocalists this year, that was one part of it, and then we didn’t have as many novelty acts as we usually had, so that was the tough balance for this year.”
Other performers included an impersonator/comedian who tried to convince the audience he had multiple personality disorder, a freestyle rapper, and a mariachi singer dressed in traditional garb.
Both winner Theresa Schmitz and runner-up Alyssa Kennedy are vocalists, but were introduced to their art in different ways.
Schmitz said she started out by singing in her father’s congregation.
Schmitz, two-time winner of Lobos Got Talent, said she uses her musical talent as a mode for personal expression. This year, she dedicated her performance to her grandfather, who died two months ago due to heart failure. She said singing is her favorite activity.
“I feel like it’s a gift that God gave me, and I just enjoy giving it back to Him,” she said.
Kennedy, on the other hand, said she was influenced by pop culture.
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“I was in second grade,” she said. “I was a Britney Spears fan, I guess, and that’s when it all started.”
From Spears to spitting rhymes, she said her art has evolved considerably.
“I’ve been writing poetry my whole life; I started slamming in high school,” Kennedy said. “Rapping probably comes from teenage-y, angst-y years when I was really hashing stuff out in my life and I just used that as a platform. It’s so much more legit.”
Kennedy said this was her first talent show.
“I actually was just getting myself a pancake coupon for Denny’s and I saw the little ad right next to it,” Kennedy said. “I wrote the song two weeks ago and I came across the ad and I was like ‘I just wrote a song. I should sing the song I just wrote.’”
The third place winner, Gaga Dance Explosion 2.0, also performed in last year’s competition. They came up with the Gaga-esque exhibition when they performed for a cabaret earlier that year.
The group was composed of three scantily clad dancers, one of whom was wearing a greenish-blue wig with strands of hair that reached below her waist. Group member Ellen Kress said she admires Gaga for her showmanship.
“She’s just crazy and out there and she’ll show up in a blue wig and be like ‘Here I am, love me,’” Kress said. “You were born that way. Even if you were born a shoe, you don’t have to be a shoe.”
Gaga group member Elizabeth Dombek said their performance is a testament to Gaga’s beliefs.
“She’s got a good message, it comes down to that,” she said. “Just love yourself. It’s nice that we can come together; even though we’re not dancers, we can express ourselves.”
Lindquist said he encourages students to get involved.
“This is the only time we see them,” he said, “and if this is the opportunity they would like to take to get involved and show their talents, we love them, we reach out.”
