The men of Gamma Sigma Phi won their ninth men’s Sing Song title in the last 10 years, while the women of Ko Jo Kai secured their third title in the last four years and the sophomore class captured the mixed voices title.
Kojie directors Rachael Webb, senior marketing major Beaumont, and Lauren Ash, junior exercise science major from Sugarland, said they were proud of their group of women and the effort they put forth.
“We had a great group; the whole group worked hard,” Webb said. “I’m so excited, I’m really proud of the girls.”
The winning acts will donate their $1,000 prize to a charity of their choice as they did last year. The Kojies will donate their winnings to benefit ACU student Samantha Bahl, who is battling cancer.
The winning sophomore act also has said it will donate its winnings to Bahl. Director Nick Tatum, sophomore family studies major from Lubbock, had a special message for Bahl and her family after the performance.
“We’re praying that she’ll get better,” Tatum said. “We did this all for her.”
Sophomore performer Katherine Yarbrough, education major from Fort Worth, said she enjoyed her Sing Song experience and the chance to give back.
“It was the best part of the year; we put a ton of time into this,” she said. “Our No. 1 goal was to get the money to Samantha Bahl.”
The men of GSP have committed to donate their winnings to the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation, a group that helps those who suffer from a genetic bone disorder often called brittle bone disease.
GSP director Colin Barnard, senior political science major from Washington, D.C., said he felt relief and a sense of pride for all of the work his group put into the performance.
“I’m speechless right now; this is the greatest I’ve felt since being in college,” Barnard said. “And being with friends is the best part.”
GSP performer Jason Rasco, junior criminal science major from Abilene, suffered a broken jaw during preparations for Saturday’s show. He sustained the injury after an air-compressed cannon backfired during warm-ups. Rasco returned for the show after a trip to the hospital earlier in the day.
“I wasn’t going to put in all that effort and then not show up, Rasco said. “These guys are my brothers. A broken jaw and some lost teeth aren’t going to stop me from coming back and winning Sing Song.”
Tom Craig, director of student productions, said he was pleased with the show and the diversity of clubs that won awards for their acts.
“Overall, it was great. There was more talent and more great acts and more numbers of people involved,” Craig said. “Awards were scattered like never before, which is a testament to the effort all groups put in.”
Sing Song 2011 featured 17 upstage acts, a record number. The Kojies, Kinsmen and soon-to-be juniors will look to defend their titles in 2012, when the theme will be “Wild at Heart.”
