Some have waited their whole life for the day they get to paint dramatized red cheeks and cartoon eyelashes on their face. Some have no desire to participate in a cult-like following of choreography and vocals. No matter your opinion on ACU Sing Song, every bright-eyed freshman that arrives on campus deserves a chance to be included in this ACU tradition.

Not everyone wants to partake in the life-consuming event that occurs on campus every February, and that is okay. At least one person should remain unimpressed by contagions and costume changes. But freshmen who don’t have club acts to participate in should especially be given a chance to engage in what some would argue is ACU’s biggest tradition. Unfortunately, as is the rule for all upstage acts, the freshman act can only have 100 students on stage.

Ashley Crisp, junior speech language pathology major from Dallas, is a co-chair for this year’s show.

“With over a thousand freshmen this year, and seeing how many of them want to be involved, I feel bad having to turn so many of them away,” Crisp said.

As of now, less than 10 percent of the freshman class will get to be involved in their class act. But by creating a new upstage act, a second act for the freshmen, the show would improve as a whole and provide more opportunity for this large class.

The addition of another act would not only increase the number of students involved, but would also provide the audience with more of what they came to see. The host and hostesses can make or break a Sing Song show, but they aren’t what hold the traditions of Sing Song. The audience flocks to Abilene every year to be entertained by their kids, their friends, their old clubs and old traditions displayed in silly costumes in the upstage acts, not the acts in between. A second freshman class act would increase the number of parents and relatives buying tickets, while also upping the entertainment value for the show as a whole.

The traditional alternative for students who don’t make the cut for the freshman act is to be a freshman usher. While this is still a good way to meet new people and get to hang out in the infamous prop-filled holding rooms, the job of the freshman usher hardly maintains an ounce of the Sing Song traditions that are learned by being in an upstage act.

As far as traditions go, the freshman act has been a contender for best overall show in the mixed voices division. This is mostly due to an abundance of freshman enthusiasm and spare time. A second act would add another tough competitor to the division. It would not split or dilute the talent their class has to offer, but rather create a marketplace where two shows strive to bring their best efforts to the competition.

Giving more freshmen stage time and exposure is the next step in student involvement and Sing Song improvement. Let’s add a few more red cheeks and eyelashes. ­