By Caleigh Bartash
The coronavirus pandemic may have brought an abrupt halt to in-person events at the University of Maryland, but students are turning to virtual stages to stay connected.
Winnie the Pooh and Michael Jackson impressions sung to the tune of Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next,” two sisters harmonizing like Beyoncé and Bollywood dancing through a webcam.
“Terp Talent Showcase” is UMD’s digital answer to “America’s Got Talent.” The weekly showcase premieres Tuesdays on YouTube and the Adele H. Stamp Student Union’s Facebook page. Since the first episode aired on April 14, more than 10 different acts have been showcased, ranging from a cappella to cooking and spoken word.
The showcase was created to keep students connected during the pandemic. The idea came from Graduate Student Life Coordinator Jennifer Enriquez, who brought it to friends and eventual co-hosts Brianna Aldridge and Kamrie Risku, Risku said.
Aldridge, a master’s of public health student and graduate assistant at Stamp, said hosting felt like the perfect fit given her public speaking abilities.
“I get very comfortable in spaces of a lot of people and even in presenting or doing a public speaking sort of situation,” Aldridge said. “It’s always been a place for me that isn’t tough to navigate. And so I think it kind of spills into how I operate on a daily basis and what my personality looks like.”
Risku, a master’s in education student and Stamp graduate assistant, said she was never really afraid of public speaking in an academic setting. But she said the talent show was different.
“I’m a little bit more hesitant towards the entertainment side of public speaking, but definitely over the past four weeks I’ve gotten more comfortable in it,” Risku said.
Aldridge and Risku watch the submissions right before they record to make sure their reactions are genuine. Chris Hegwood from IT Services edits their commentary and the talent videos into the full shows, which are usually about 10 to 20 minutes long.
Sammy Garcia, a junior supply chain management major, sang “thank u, next” while impersonating 23 different characters in the second episode. Garcia — whose impressions included Kermit the Frog, Michael Bublé and Patrick Star — said he was “really glad” the talent show happened with in-person events being canceled.
“I missed a lot of performances. And for me, that was like, it’s my craft. It’s what I want to do. The time is so important because I need practice. I need to put in hours and I wasn’t getting those hours,” Garcia said.
In the fourth episode, junior public health science major Jasmine Nuako sang Chloe x Halle’s “Warrior” with her sister Jaiden. Nuako said she received an email mentioning the talent show and thought it sounded cool.
“It’s great that we have this talent show to kind of stay connected and kind of display all of the different gifts and talents that we all have,” Nuako said.
Awura Osei, a senior French language and literature major, performed her poem called “I Belong Here” in episode three. She said participating in the talent show made her feel like she was “a part of something.”
“When I look back at my life, I’m not gonna sit there and remember all the assignments I did, but I’m gonna remember these moments I had with other people.” Osei said. “So I would tell other people to join the talent show for that reason. For memory’s sake if anything.”
Aldridge said there is hope to continue the talent show next semester after she and Risku have graduated, whether virtually or in-person, but emphasized that the UMD community should advocate for it.
“Continue it,” she said. “Keep this community-building going and give people the chance to really break out of their shell.”
Students can submit their talents through a Google form for a chance to be featured. The final episode of the spring semester premieres on May 12, 2020.
Featured photo: Sammy Garcia performing his Michael Jackson impression during episode 2 of the Terp Talent Showcase uploaded on TheStampUMD’s YouTube channel on April 21.