By: Maddisyn Urban
Western Activities Council (WAC) gave students a chance to display their talents to the campus with the WAC Talent Show.
Elijah Todd, WAC president, organized the event to accompany the annual fall show fashioned after The Voice. The talent show, which is hosted during the spring semester, brings the opportunity for students to share all types of talents, gifts and skills with the people of Western.
“Some people can’t sing, so we just like other people to showcase their talents, whether it be violin, rapping, singing, miming, anything,” Todd said.
Talent shows are a great way for people to express themselves as best they can. Expression is an important reason why Todd was sure to organize the event.
“It gives the students a chance to be free, be themselves and to showcase what they’ve been practicing in their dorms,” Todd said.
A lot of first-time performers made their way onto the stage, including Valerie Vang, the talent show’s winner.
“I’ve been writing since I was 14, but it’s been really low-key,” Vang said. “It was really nerve-wracking, because it was my first time ever performing. I was super nervous.”
Vang rapped and sang her original song “Cry.” Vang brought a really emotional performance to the stage.
“I was going through a really difficult time when I was writing that song,” Vang said. “I was just really overwhelmed and in the mood to write. When I’m feeling something and I write it down, it’s just natural; a story comes out.”
Despite having an emotional, vulnerable performance, Vang was met with encouragement.
“There were a lot of people hyping me up,” Vang said. “I was surprised the crowd liked it. Even some of my competitors were supporting me.”
The WAC Talent Show shed light on some of Western’s talented artists and most likely will do so for years to come.