IUSF to sponsor 76th annual IU Sing competition this weekend

This Friday and Saturday, about 49 different organizations will be “caught in the spotlight” for the 76th annual IU Sing.\nIU Sing is a competition sponsored by the IU Student Foundation where student organizations come together and create four- to six-minute musical acts.\n“It’s one of the largest campuswide musical performances,” said Joseph V. Juettner, emcee coordinator of the Steering Committee for IUSF. \nIU Sing started in the 1920s, when students would sing on the steps of the Student Building, but 36 years ago, IUSF took over and made it a student production, said Jennifer Bruffey, director of IUSF.\nJuettner said IUSF is trying something different from last year. They have written a prompt act to open the show, which will be performed by the Singing Hoosiers. The act will begin a story to be told throughout the program. Juettner said a character in the prompt finds a jacket and reaches into it and finds an unknown object. Juettner said each organization has to come up with its own ending to \nthe prompt.\n“It’s written by them to showcase their talent and their leadership,” \nhe said.\nBruffey said there are about 49 different organizations forming 21 acts to perform this year, following the theme of “Caught in the Spotlight.” Juettner said the IUSF steering committee thought of the idea earlier in the year.\n“We were shooting ideas on what the name would be, then earlier in September we came up with ‘Caught in the Spotlight,’” she said.\nThe 21 acts will be divided into two divisions: division A for \nlarger acts and division B for smaller acts. Bruffey said. She said fraternities and \nsororities are paired together to form one act.\n“This way we don’t have to have a lot of acts going on. Otherwise. we will be there all night,” Bruffey said. \nEach act’s song leader can apply and interview for 12 scholarships, but the winning song leader of each division will also receive a $300 or $500 scholarship.\n“The song leaders of the act are the ones who receive the scholarships since they are the ones who created everything,” Bruffey said.\nBruffey said the acts will be judged on four different categories: musicality, choreography, staging and a creative ending to the prompt.\nTickets for the show are $18 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the IU Auditorium box office.\nIU Sing will begin at 7:30 p.m. today and tomorrow in the IU Auditorium. Friday’s show will consist entirely of performances and tomorrow’s will feature awards. Bruffey said.\n“It will be very entertaining,” Juettner said. “Be ready to be amazed.”