Freshman Follies with its second year in Moody is ringing in Family Weekend to show the community what freshmen have made since Wildcat Week.

Follies is a talent and lip-syncing competition where freshmen either can show off a choreographed act with their residence hall or showcase a talent of their own.

For Mary Clarie Gunn, hall act student director and junior kinesiology major from Waco, directing follies was right up her alley after doing theatre, choir and dance in high school however, it still feels different this year.

“Leadership team definitely feels different as a junior than freshman year,” Gunn said. “It’s different this year mainly because it is happening so much faster than it normally does, it is starting a week earlier than normal. But it also feels very enthusiastic.”

Alex Dulske, sophomore computer science major from San Antonio, took on the position of family weekend student director.

“Taking on not only a new position but also taking on a whole new role with Family Weekend student director is a really fun challenge to take on,” Dulske said. “It’s really fun just work alongside and be more involved with Follies than I have ever been before.”

Students went around and scanned QR codes for their hall to sign up for a hall act in which they were put into a group me to start the process, rehearsals and pick themes.

“One thing that is completely different is that we have the biggest amount of hall acts that we have ever had before,” Dulske said.  “We have a total of 11 hall acts this year which is incredible, my freshman year we only had six. It is crazy that we have this whole new group of people that love Follies.”

This year the hall acts have almost doubled in size since last year with 11 hall acts.

The hall act themes for Follies 2023 are:

• Bullock Hall
  • Country
  • 2010 medley
  • Big Time Rush
• Wessel
  • Boxers
  • Veggie Tales
  • Barbie
  • Dancing through the decades
• Mabee
  • Taylor Swift Eras
  • Surf and Turf (Guys)
• Nelson
  • Mamma Mia
  • Disney Channel original movie medley

“We were kind of stressed about the timeline this year,” Gunn said.”Definitely at the beginning was simply to get everything done, but for me a goal, because I am the hall act student director, is for everyone to be enthusiastic, have fun and build community.”

On top of Follies being the first thing that freshmen do, this year, a new tradition of singing The Lord Bless You and Keep You at the end of the performances is being implemented.

“Follies is the foundation of community,” Dulske said. “It’s a really big stepping stone to just find your friend in Follies whether that be you are on the leadership team or in an act. I found some of my closest friends through the hall acts and the leadership team.”

Freshman Follies performances are as follows, Friday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m.