By Jonathan Smith, Managing Editor

She says she and her friends only used to joke that it would “own her,” but now Emily Petr is really finding how time-consuming Sing Song can be.

Petr, junior management major from Lawrence, Kan., and Sing Song hostess, knows that during the next four weeks, her schedule will only get busier.

“In a way it does consume a lot of my mental and physical energy,” Petr said. “I imagine it will get harder as the show approaches, but it’s only a few weeks longer, so I’m really trying to enjoy every minute.”

And there are plenty of those minutes left for her to enjoy. Petr said the hosts and hostesses practice from 7 to 11 p.m. most weeknights and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. In addition to rehearsals, she said she attends a dance class three times a week and has extra practice on her own outside of rehearsal.

“I guess it’s been what I expected to some extent, but mostly I just didn’t know what to expect,” Petr said.

This year’s theme, Silver Screen, calls class and club acts to use movies as a broad theme for what will develop on stage. The show also features something it has not for several years: a new director. Kendall Massey, director of student productions, took over in the fall after Phyllis Wilson left last year.

Melanie McRay, senior act co-director and downstage manager for Sing Song, said having a new director has not slowed anything down at all.

“Especially with a new director, a new vision, everything new, it is going so well,” said McRay, senior child and family ministry major from Nashville, Tenn.

McRay said she struggles with one particular issue that many others deal with: time.

“The time issue is always difficult,” McRay said, “especially coming up with practice times that work for everyone.”

Though Sing Song has already taken over for some, things are just starting to heat up for others.

Ryan Porche, senior worship ministry major from Abilene and co-director for the senior class Sing Song act, said the seniors are only rehearsing twice a week now, but he knows it won’t stay that way.

“At this point it’s not too bad,” Porche said. “I tried to do a lot of the work over the holidays so that here at the beginning it wouldn’t be too bad. It’ll pick up; in February it’ll get real bad.”

Porche said because he is working with seniors, rehearsal is somewhat easier.

“We’re seniors so we’ve done it before, and so we’re able to avoid a lot of the early steps. We can get right to it, take care of business,” Porche said. “I’m thankful to say that by our senior year we’ve got a few things figured out. We can do things right and not make some of the same mistakes.”

As the show grows closer, students are having different reactions to the thought of having to get ready to perform in front of thousands of people. For Petr, one thing sticks out in her mind.

“I would say the pressure,” she said. “If I stop to think about it too much, it really gets scary.”

Some are not quite as worried about the show coming together.

“It’s really just kind of a natural thing that all the students click,” Porche said. “They realize that the show is coming up, and so they’ll work a lot harder.”

With all the work comes difficulties, and many students find different areas of Sing Song tough.

David Gilly, senior exercise science major from Abilene and Gamma Sigma Phi director, said, without having to stop and think, that just “motivating people to come to rehearsal” is the one thing that has been most difficult for him.

Even with the difficulties, most people still seem to have their reasons for doing Sing Song-reasons they like it so much.

“I just get to be with a lot of people,” McRay said. “That’s one of the things I’ve loved the most about ACU is the friendships, and I’ve gotten to make a lot of new friends through this.”

For others, it is seeing the acts jell.

“My favorite part is being able to see how people come together, work hard and develop the show that we put together,” Gilly said.

For McRay and Porche, being seniors also adds something that makes all the preparation worth it.

“We’re really wanting to celebrate this last time we’re all together here at ACU since

most of us are graduating,” Porche said. “Melanie and I are really trying to make the rehearsals something that is special for all of us.”

Porche said that even with all the work, he tries to stay focused on why he is doing Sing Song.

“It’s not a whole lot of fun doing the administrative stuff,” Porche said, “but when the people get in front of you, then you remember why you’re doing it. That’s where the life is.”