Playin’ at the Talent Show: Get Ready to Show Off

This week, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Student Events Team will put on the Maverick Talent Contest. This contest is looking for any bands, singers, dancers, jugglers and more who wish to show off their skills to the campus community.

Although video submissions have closed, the video crew will start filming the top 10 winners for the live stream 7 p.m. Thursday. The link to the livestream can be found on the Student Events Team website and Facebook page.

In the past, the Student Events Team has put on numerous events around campus, including drive-in movies, carnivals and homecoming festivities. The team has never hosted an event like this, but this won’t stop them from helping engage students..  

Students in the showcase round will receive a timeslot for filming earlier in the week, with the live stream airing Thursday. 

Filming takes place in Ostrander Auditorium, which will allow performers to utilize amenities such as bright lighting, a large stage and a good sound system. The film crew will help each participant in order to ensure a great quality video for the live stream.  

“We are filming the acts beforehand since we can’t have all of the acts in the same room. This way, we can follow COVID-19 restrictions while still having fun and putting on a good show,” said Concert Company Chair William Keebler. 

Along with these social-distancing guidelines, everyone will be required to wear a face mask, unless they are performing.  

The Talent Committee has been going through each act and deciding what acts will move to the showcase, based on the quality of performance, variety, creativity and audience engagement. These acts will include mostly students showcasing their musical talents with instruments or singing, as well as dance acts, and they will also be competing for $600 dollars’ worth of prizes.   

“At the end of the performance there will also be judge commentary,” said Keebler. “There will be a virtual fan vote during the live stream that will impact the final results.”

This feature will allow the audience to have a voice on their favorite acts.