On Monday, January 26, the a cappella Benefit Concert hosted by the Colgate Activities Board (CAB) and Konosioni Senior Honor Society was held at Colgate Memorial Chapel. The concert featured all five of Colgate’s resident a cappella groups: the Resolutions, the Dischords, the Mantiphondrakes, the Swinging ‘Gates and the Colgate Thirteen. All proceeds from the event went towards Madison County Gives, a crowdfunding website sponsoring eight nonprofits in Madison County.

Eight different nonprofits will benefit from the proceeds. One example is the Kelberman Center, a regional center that operates summer camps for individuals who have autism spectrum disorders. Another is the Emmaus House, a temporary shelter for women and children; the center is looking to replace worn out bedding. The other charities include a food pantry, an animal shelter, a medical clinic, a local nursery school for low-income families, a program that provides bikes, locks and helmets to those in need and a program working to prevent substance abuse.

“After brainstorming ideas for the semester, we realized we needed a new event that would be a fresh idea, grab attention and bring a big crowd,” CAB Special Events Executive sophomore Kelsey Soderberg said. “CAB is also looking to collaborate with more groups on campus so this event hosted with Konosioni and the a cappella groups was a perfect way to let people know that we are open to work with other Colgate groups.”

The show had a strong turnout, filling the majority of the first floor of the Chapel.

“I really enjoyed that they incorporated all the a cappella groups,” sophomore Alessandra Devia said. “It was exciting to see the variety of talented students we have at Colgate. It was an entertaining, fun and welcoming event to kick off spring semester and give back to the community.”

The performers enjoyed the experience as well. “Bringing all the groups together is not only fun for audiences, it’s fun for the performers as well,” sophomore Colgate 13 member Joe Baez said.  “Each group has a lot of respect for the others because we all know how much work it takes to put on a great performance, so when we get the chance to watch each other we’re all really proud.”

“This event was such a joy to perform in, because it was a rare and awesome opportunity for all of the on campus a cappella groups to come together,” sophomore Dischords member and CAB executive Alexa de Alessandrini said. 

“We all have such different sounds and dynamics, but all of us really appreciate getting time to put our talents and aca-craziness into one collective set list. Many of us found the concert to be something we want to do annually, with the hope of ensuring that all a cappella singers on campus can continue to formulate friendships and bond.”

Students who were unable to attend the event this semester can look forward to more multi-group performances in the future at Colgate. 

“Since this was such a successful, inclusive event, we are looking to make this type of benefit concert an annual event to be repeated every January,” Soderberg said.