Carnegie Mellon student wins sixth annual Campus Superstar

Annie Heise sang her way to victory with her rendition of “I (Who Have Nothing),” by Ben E…. Annie Heise sang her way to victory with her rendition of “I (Who Have Nothing),” by Ben E. King, in the sixth annual Campus Superstar.

The Carnegie Mellon senior finished the competition with the title of Campus Superstar and a $5,000 cash prize.

The event, hosted by Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh, pits Pittsburgh college students against each other in an American Idol-style singing competition.

The 10 students who made it to the final round of the competition, two Pitt students among them, performed their songs with the backing of a live band in front of hundreds of audience members Sunday night at Carnegie Music Hall.

Jimmy McGuire, who provides clues for contestants on the television game show “Jeopardy,” served as the event’s emcee.

McGuire said 160 students originally tried out for the competition, with contestants participating in multiple rounds throughout the last few months in order to narrow the number down to 10.

Jill Machen, the director of Campus Superstar, chose the final contestants after a semifinal round on Feb. 19. But Machen said she had trouble choosing the finalists.

“The talent was unbelievably great this year,” Machen said. “It was tough to make the cuts. I think that this year’s performers are among the most talented that I have ever worked with in this competition.”

After each live performance on Sunday, a panel of celebrity judges provided feedback to the contestants. The panel included Etta Cox, a Pittsburgh-based actress, Lenora Nemetz, a Broadway actress who specializes in musical theater, Ken Rice, a co-anchor at KDKA-TV news and Barbara Russell, a Pittsburgh actress and teacher.

At the end of the competition, members of the audience had the opportunity to vote for Pittsburgh’s next Campus Superstar.

Between the individual performances and the announcement of the contestant who would win the Campus Superstar title, last year’s winner, Gillian Hassert, a senior at Carnegie Mellon, performed “Down With Love,” from the musical “Hooray for What!” — her winning number from last year.

McGuire said Hillel’s Campus Superstar is the largest competition of its kind in the United States. Proceeds from the event go toward the Hillel Center in Pittsburgh, an institution that provides opportunities for Jewish college students in the city, including a free trip to Israel.

Tickets cost $36 for adults, $25 for children and $5 for college students with valid university IDs.

The Hillel Center in Pittsburgh currently serves about 5,000 Jewish students and young adults in and around the city.

Pitt students Andrew Muse, a freshman biology major, and Josh Loebig, a freshman engineering major, made it to the final rounds. Muse sang “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” by Elton John, and Loebig sang “You Raise Me Up,” by Josh Groban.

Loebig and Point Park freshman Carlos Jimenez finished in second and third place, respectively, in the competition.

The judges had high praise for Loebig’s performance.

“Are you sure your last name isn’t ‘Groban,’ Josh?” Cox said. “I couldn’t tell the difference.”