A talent show spanning across all areas of performance will be hosted by the Texas A&M Student Government Association. Students at A&M are invited to attend the annual Aggies Got Talent show on Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. in Rudder Theatre.
An all-inclusive talent show and silent auction, Aggies Got Talent is SGA’s primary fundraiser. Aggies Got Talent raises money for SGA’s endowment, which funds SGA’s 13 committees, including Traditions Council, Big Event, Muster and Carpool.
Until 2015, when the former SGA Development Commissioner Gracie Wood commenced the show, SGA’s main fundraiser was an annual golf tournament. According to the current SGA Chief of Staff and chemical engineering major Grace Dansby, Wood had a vision to improve fundraising, and create a deeper connection amongst students.
“The original purpose of the event was to serve as a fundraising event,” Dansby said. “While Aggies Got Talent still serves this purpose, it also creates a unique way for SGA to interact with all students. Often students involved with Aggies Got Talent typically have little to no interaction with SGA, so it allows us to hear unique experiences.”
Student Body President Bobby Brooks said he is excited to watch this show reach out to campus by allowing a showcase of talents and providing a memorable instrument for connection.
“Obviously a lot of this is about the fundraising, but really I’m most excited to connect the campus and have fun,” Brooks said. “I get so caught up in mundane tasks, but the talent show is a nice time for the student body to come together and appreciate some really talented Aggies.”
Brooks moved the talent show from the development commissioner’s duty to be under the instruction of Vice President of Programming and geophysics major, Adilah Amalia.
“We did our auditions last weekend and we have about 40 people that auditioned,” Amalia said. “A lot of the auditions were country, because we are in Texas. There will be cultural dances, people singing in different languages, and we just picked the best of them. We have a couple of martial artists and someone playing a jazz duet with a saxophone, a grand piano and an electric violin.”
Amalia said Aggieland Outfitters donated gift cards and a Texas art gallery donated paintings for the silent auction portion of the night.
“I am excited for a lot of different things,” Amalia said. “I am excited to see all of my plans that I have organized happen and I am really excited to see how much money we are going to raise. I really like shows and performing arts, so, hopefully, I get enough time to sit down and enjoy my hard work.”
The judges, who are chosen due to their notable personalities on campus are MSC President Annie Carnegie, Student Body President Bobby Brooks, Maroon Coats Executive and Olympian Maggie Malone and Mays Business School professor Henry Musoma. According to Dansby, the winners are determined by the average of the judge’s scores.
“The judges score is based on entertainment value, originality, audience appeal, skill level and aesthetic appeal,” Dansby said. “My favorite aspect of the show is getting to see the diversity in our students and their acts. It really showcases each unique member of our university and gives talented individuals the opportunity to showcase something that they otherwise would not have in a fun and supportive environment.”