Sigma Alpha Mu, Theta Chi and Gamma Phi Beta win 76th annual IU Sing

More than 1,000 people showed up Saturday to see Sigma Alpha Mu, Theta Chi and Gamma Phi Beta take away the overall trophy after their win in the 76th annual IU Sing. \nThe competition, held Friday and Saturday at the IU Auditorium, featured 49 student organizations participating in 21 four- to six- minute musical acts.\nThe IU Student Foundation, which sponsored the event, tried a different approach to IU sing this year, Joe Juettner, a member of the IUSF steering committee, told audience members Friday.\n“These acts get to exercise imagination to an open-ending story,” he said.\nThe Singing Hoosiers took part in IU Sing for the first time in IU Sing history, Juettner said. In their opening act, the Singing Hoosiers acted out a story prompt about three people, two guys and a girl, who are cut from auditions for a play. As each contemplates what he or she did to be eliminated, one accidentally picks up the director’s jacket instead of his own and finds an item. Each of the 21 acts came up with an ending to the story that told what the character found in the pocket.\nAll 21 acts came up with creative ideas to finish the open-ended story. Some of the items found in the pocket were a campus ID, a janitor’s hat and keys, a letter, a lottery ticket, a Little 500 registration form, magic glasses and an iPhone. Each act also used well-known melodies to famous songs and incorporated original words.\nSigma Alpha Mu song leader Russell Schaeffer described his group’s win as “glorious” because everyone worked hard. His fraternity teamed up with the Theta Chi fraternity and Gamma Phi Beta sorority for the event.\n“I feel a lot of gratitude for the hard work that the other five song leaders and I put in with scrip and choreography,” he said. “It’s great that people trust us.” \nIn between each act, soloists and a capella groups performed to entertain the crowd.\nAs each organization came up to perform its creative ending, student supporters in the audience yelled and chanted the groups’ names in excitement for their organization.\nAfter Alpha Phi sorority was called as the first place Division B winner of IU Sing, Alpha Phi members freshman Lindsay Whisler and sophomore Jessy Roll said they were excited about their win.\n“It feels so good, and it was so fun,” Whisler said. “It is cool to say that about our house.”\nAs Whisler and Roll greeted other members of their organization, they hugged and screamed “we won.”\n“We plan on putting our trophy in the display case at our house,” Roll said, smiling.\nEach act was judged on musicality, staging, choreography and overall effect by a panel of six judges. The act with the most points was the overall winner.\nTwo divisions of acts made up the competition. Division A consisted of groups with 74 or more participants and Division B consisted of groups with 73 participants or fewer. Groups in each division competed with each other for the top five places.\nBefore the awards were handed out, IUSF gave 11 $300 scholarships and one $500 scholarship to song leaders of different acts.\nIU alumna Lindsay Wellons said she enjoyed the show. \n“I love it a lot,” she said. “It is upbeat and the crowd really gets involved.”