The immense talent of Colgate University’s student body was once again showcased on the chapel stage last Friday night. Yes, you guessed it, another

a cappella concert. 

The Swinging Gates were up first and immediately thanked the crowd for coming out on a Friday night.  They are Colgate’s only all-female a cappella group, and fittingly opened the night with Pitch Perfect’s “Cup Song,” followed by a performance by senior Hannah Goldstein, of one of my personal favorites, The Script’s “Breakeven.” 

Next up were the energetic Mantiphondrakes, Colgate’s newest a cappella group, singing “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood and sophomore Michael DiGiorgio performing “Madness” by Muse. A definite highlight came when two of the members hilariously succeeded in acting out the epic guitar solo with, of course, just their voices. Not to mention the appearance of the one and only, senior Karl Uy, and yes, his feather hat. 

The Dischords took the stage next and came out swinging. Junior Kathryn Lannin left the room speechless with her beautiful and effortless rendition of “Say Something” by A Great Big World. In an effort to show a less emotional side and encourage some crowd participation, sophomore George Aldrich and senior Hazen Hinman performed a slowed down version of Outkast’s “Hey Ya.” It’s pretty remarkable that a group can perfectly perform two vastly different songs right after the next with such ease. 

The Resolutions, more commonly referred to as “the Resos,” showed us a true throwback with a performance of the classic “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding sung by senior Jennifer Shelton. Right after, we were fortunate enough to hear the brilliant voice of senior Kevin Yapaola, as he took on Sam Smith’s popular hit, “I’m Not the Only One.” Once again, the crowd was left speechless by the immeasurable talent shown on stage. 

The Colgate 13 entered the stage looking as dapper as ever in their classic blazer and ties to close the night. Senior Timothy O’Brien opened with Uncle Kracker’s 2001 hit “Follow Me.” The last song, an impressive cover of Zac Brown Band’s “Natural Disaster” was a surprisingly good choice and sent some love to the many country music fans in the audience.  

The   artistic  abilties  of  my  fellow  Colgate students continue to amaze me. If you enjoy singing, there is a place for you here at Colgate. The many a cappella groups are all holding auditions and are enthusiastic about adding members. Plus, if you join the Colgate 13, you get to ride around in a stretch limosine. How can you beat that? But if you are more like me, and would rather listen to someone else sing, that’s okay, too. Every show needs an audience. One thing’s for sure: if the a cappella concert was at all a hint of what’s to come this year, I am very excited to see what’s in store.