CMU singers sweep Campus Superstar

Carnegie Mellon University students dominated the competition, taking first, second and third… Carnegie Mellon University students dominated the competition, taking first, second and third places at Sunday night’s third annual Campus Superstar competition, sponsored by the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh.

The 10 finalists beat out 150 other participants in the contest, which began last fall across the city’s college campuses. The winner, Roberta Burke, was the only finalist who had competed in previous contests.

Burke, a senior fine arts major, performed third with her adaptation of ‘I Have Nothing,’ made famous by Whitney Houston.

‘Wow! You were two people … a singer with the microphone on the stand … and then, ‘Boom!’ You grabbed that mic and you blew me away,’ said judge Ken Rice, KDKA news anchor, during Burke’s review.

‘I’ll buy your records … that was so professional,’ said Pittsburgh jazz singer Etta Cox.

Burke won a $5,000 scholarship. First and second runners-up, Lilli Passero and Amanda Jane Cooper, respectively, each won $1,000.

Other highlights of the evening included an awards presentation and a medley that featured songs from more than 10 Disney movies.

Pitt student Marc Schutzbank received Hillel’s Volunteer of the Year award for his ‘take-charge attitude and not giving up,’ said the executive director of Pittsburgh’s Hillel, Aaron Weil.

Shannon Smith, a Pitt junior, won the first-ever $500 scholarship given lottery-style to a crowd member.

‘I have no idea what I’ll do [with the money] … I guess I’m taking my friends out for ice cream,’ said Smith.

Last year’s Superstar winner, Point Park University sophomore Khrista Jana White, also performed and offered some voting advice to the crowd.

‘Go with your heart, not your head. They’re two different things,’ she said.

The judges were glad they didn’t have to choose only one winner, though.

‘This is ridiculous. All these people are so terrific,’ said local actor and judge Richard Rauh.

Despite all the money given away, the event’s goal of fundraising for the facility was not forgotten.

In addition to an anonymous donor who pledged to match the amount received from the sale of student tickets to the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry, all of the $250 seats were sold out.

‘The amazing thing about music is it gives us hope, and in the world we’re living in today we can use a lot of that,’ said Weil.