Under the bright lights and on a big stage, the Cornell football team turned in a clutch performance. However, this description is not referring to the gridiron, but, instead, Statler Auditorium. At last Thursday’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee Big Red’s Got Talent Show, the squad’s rendition of John Mayer’s “Waiting for the World to Change” and “I Love Cornell” (a parody of “I Love College” by Asher Roth) wowed the crowd and earned a donation from judge, and head football coach, David Archer.
The competition brought student-athletes and Big Red fans together for a showcase of talent from a very diverse group of Cornell athletes. In all, there were 16 performances from 11 different sports groups. The acts included a synchronized “swimming dance” from the women’s swimming and diving team, a parody video from the equestrian team, and a dance by the women’s tennis team. The event was organized and put on by Big Red football senior Luke Hagy and senior Angelica Gangemi of fencing.
A star-studded panel of judges that included Police Chief Kathy Zoner, Coach Archer, and Denice Cassaro, determined the superlative awards for the show. The judges picked the winner of categories such as funniest performance, most spirited, most original, best dance performance, and best vocal performance. Despite the judges’ involvement, the audience, through cash donations, chose the overall event winner.
The talent show was an enormous success and did a terrific job at engaging the packed auditorium. In addition, the event was able to raise a considerable amount of money and food donations for the Ithaca Kitchen Cupboard. In just its second year, the performance seems to already be a big hit with Cornell Athletics and the larger Big Red community.
Winners
Football
A group of members from the football team stole the show with their medley of rock and pop songs. They started by playing “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer before transitioning into an original take on Asher Roth’s “I love College” called “I Love Cornell.” The performance included an original rap and participation from both the crowd and judges. The top prize earned them a gift card to Chipotle.
Lightweight Rowing, Victor Ordonez
Victor won second place and “best vocal performance” for the lightweight crew team for his rendition of “Your Song” by Elton John. As avid Elton John fans, the judges were blown away with Victor’s performance and awarded him the superlative prize over a number of strong vocal performances. The audience was also mesmerized by the act and awarded him second place.
Women’s Tennis
Despite initial technical difficulties, the women’s tennis team pulled out a very strong dance performance. They paired the dance with original lyrics about their team and their daily routines. The judges were very impressed by their choreography and overall coordinated effort.
Superlatives
Funniest: Equestrian
Most Spirited: Women’s Rowing
Most Original: Brailin Paulino, Track and Field
Best Dance: Nahshon Garrett, Wrestling
Best Vocal Performance: Victor Ordonez, Lightweight Rowing
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