Diverse Talents grace the WPU

Pitt students took to the stage Thursday night in an event that was as much about… Pitt students took to the stage Thursday night in an event that was as much about displaying talent as it was about celebrating diversity.

The show’s name was “Diverse Talents,” and students packed into the Assembly Room of the William Pitt Union to watch and take part in the Diversity Week event. There were 20 scheduled acts and admission was free.

“All students are invited to showcase their talents and diversity on campus,” SGB Multicultural chair Courtney Richardson said. Richardson also hosted the event.

By show time, the Assembly Room held more occupied seats than empty ones. Musical numbers made up most of the first act, with the most pointed crowd reaction going to God’s Chosen, a 10-person gospel outfit, and Felicia Hicks, performing “Final Plea,” an original song.

Other notable performances were Bill Morse, from “The Lothrop Show’ fame, singing a soft piano ballad and Ahmaad Johnson’s cross-dressed monologue “The Gospel According to Miss Roj.”

An intermission followed the first act, during which those in attendance enjoyed food and drinks provided by the Vice Provost’s office. The office also gave the money used to award the winning acts.

Jean Usen said her favorite act so far was God’s Chosen.

“Their music inspirational and uplifting and it’s a good medium for giving the gospel out,” she said. “As students we all need some encouragement and God’s Chosen does that for me.”

Usen’s friend, Twila Lindsey had a different opinion. She favored Brittany Taylor’s performance of her own song, “At Last.”

In addition to being a friend of Taylor’s, Lindsey said, “If I had my eyes closed and I listened to her I would think I was listening to a CD.”

The classical violin of Wyatt True and the synchronized dancing of Raw Talent marked the highlights of the second act. True slowed the pace of the evening with a high class-style violin playing. Raw Talent closed the show with their high-energy dancing that ultimately won them first place, and $700.

Other winners were God’s Chosen and Nicole Cofer, each netting $500 for second place, and True and his accompanist on the piano, Alexis Wickwire, winning $300 for third place.

Richardson said that the event, the second since Diversity Week’s inception last year, went better than planned.

“I think it was excellent,” she said. “We had a lot of acts and all of them were great.”