After winning the previous two years, the women of Ko Jo Kai are looking to win Song on Saturday for the third consecutive year.
In the club’s previous two performances, the acts were themed after Toy Soldiers and Fireworks in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
“I think since ‘23 they’ve just had a renewed sense of ‘we want this,’” said Courtney McGaha, director of student productions and promotions. “Their club traditionally has a passion for Sing Song. In the last couple of years, they’ve shown a lot of enthusiasm and that they really want to win.”
McGaha also said while the club’s enthusiasm is significant, other clubs show the same energy and desire to compete at the same level.
The 2024 act was impressive from beginning to end, having good vocals and costumes throughout while also performing a miniature light show that simulated a firework going off across the stage.
This year, the Kojies have chosen Laci Jackson, senior theatre education major from Grapevine, to direct their Sing Song act.
“I had grown up going to Sing Song since I was a little girl,” Jackson said. “It has always been a dream of mine. I made a bucket list of things I wanted to do at ACU, and one of them was to direct Ko Jo Kai Sing Song. So when I had the opportunity to do it this year, I jumped on it.”
Jackson also said that her parents met at ACU and her whole family were Kojies, which makes directing the act feel like “it’s been a long time coming.”
Jackson also directed a freshman class act when she was a freshman.
“It’s a completely different ballgame this time around,” Jackson said.
Though the club started practicing in early February, Jackson believes it was a week later than most clubs because the Kojies elected to leave a week between new member orientation and the beginning of Sing Song practice.
One piece of the performance that Jackson has continued from the ‘24 act is teaching the choreography and the lyrics at the same time. This is something she does not think most clubs do and saw director M.C. Gunn do well last year.
“It’s definitely harder to learn, but once you have practiced it and have it down, it’s much easier to keep them together,” she said.
Jackson has seen her theatre education studies prove to be beneficial in her directing duties so far.
“I think it really does play to my strengths, especially with all my classes on discipline,” Jackson said. “You have to have a good balance of positive reinforcement and being serious because we have to get a job done. I think sometimes there’s too much of one and it’s too serious and no one has fun or it’s way too fun and then nothing gets done.”
Jackson said she wants the women in the act to enjoy the experience while working hard and for them to have good memories despite the results.
“Even if we don’t win, I want it to be, ‘Well, I’m still glad I did that. I made some new friends, and I’m proud of what we came up with,’” Jackson said.
Jackson said winning the past two years adds more pressure, especially with clubs wanting to prevent a potential three-peat. As a result, she adopted a new mindset to direct with.
“It’s something I tell them a lot, I tell them our act is not last year, and it’s not the year before, and it will never be,” Jackson said. “It’s something completely different. And if we just think that we’re going to show up and it’s going to be the same, we’re wrong.”
Jackson looks forward to the show whether the Kojies are able to win their third consecutive Sing Song or not. She does, however, dream of a win.
“It would be just so awesome,” Jackson said. “I think about it all the time. I smile thinking about us getting to stay on that stage and sing our club song.”
