Nick Tatum, director of Freshman Follies, prepares for Family Weekend.
Freshman Follies closed its curtains on the Challenge Accepted performances and announced the winners last Saturday.
Each act competed in four categories: entertainment, appearance, originality and preparation.
With their rendition of “Sound of Music,” Gardner 2nd East hall won one of the top two women’s performances. Their take on the classic musical, named “Sound of Gardner,” showed the transitions of college life from freshman year to senior year. Maggie Dye, a freshman ad/PR major from Carrolton, participated in the winning act.
“We worked really hard for this,” said Dye. “So it’s nice to see that we won.”
The girls of Gardner 3rd West and Center halls won the other top spot with their Olympic-themed “Family Games” act. The performance consisted of a competition with both halls competing against each other.
“We had a bunch of relay races and we were like competing, but then in the end come together as a family which was the real challenge,” said Olivia Sula, freshman biology major from Salado who participated in the act. “It was good to have it pay off.”
Freshmen Christian Oliver, biology major from Atlanta; LJ Brodie, theatre major from Mesquite; and Brendan Burl, computer science major from Cedar Park celebrate their victory.
The Mabee 3rd West gentlemen won the top guys performance for their funky song-and-dance act. Christian Oliver, freshman biology major from Atlanta, said he felt his group was in sync with the whole dance.
“It’s just a real blessing to be around guys that can dance and sing as good as they do,” said Oliver.
The Mabee 1st West group was awarded an honorable mention with their performance tied to the “Wheel of Misfortune.” The group portrayed a television show that had the guys, most in colorful onesies, go through a series of challenges.
Three group acts drew attention to the saying “ring by spring,” a common phrase describing a college girl getting engaged by the spring of their senior year.
Nick Tatum, director of Freshman Follies, gave his thoughts on this year’s performances and said they have done well for the time the freshman halls were given. “They only had four weeks,” said Tatum. “And I’m proud of what they did in four weeks.”
