Onward State - Penn State Students Show Their Talents

Students gathered at Eisenhower Auditorium last night to attend the For the Glory Talent Show, hosted by the 2011 Penn State Homecoming Student Court. In a night filled with music, dancing, and laughter, individuals from various student organizations took to the stage to showcase their talents.

The homecoming court opened the show with members dancing to a variety of songs–everything from “The Twist” to “Soulja Boy.” Ending their set with a We Are Penn State chant, the Homecoming Court’s dance skills drew thunderous applause.

But it was Atlas THON who took first place, with its tribute to procrastinating on YouTube. The dance routine and sketch included homages to several YouTube celebrities including the dramatic chipmunk, Antoine Dodson, and of course, Rebecca Black. They even managed to “Rick Roll” the entire audience, topping the tribute off with Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

In second place came Theta Chi and the Society for Women Engineers, who performed a Super Mario Brothers-inspired dance routine. All the characters from Mushroom Kingdom were on stage; Mario and Luigi fought King Koopa and his goombas to save Princess Peach and Princess Daisy.

Third place went to Beta Theta Pi and Orchesis for their Lion King-style Hakuna Matata routine. Last year’s first place winners, Lion Ambassadors, took fourth place for their dancing tale of Mount Nittany. Fifth place went to Phi Sigma Rho and Sigma Nu for their patriotic tribute.

Other noteworthy performances included Triangle and the Professional Chem Society’s look into life at Penn State in the year 3000. The sketch included Tronreferences like light cycles and identity discs. Delta Upsilon and the Tapestry Dance Company also performed an impressive Dukes of Hazzard-esque dance, complete with tap dancing and country music.

The night was filled with music, talent, pop culture tributes, and lots of dancing. Running for about three hours, For The Glory Talent Show was a goofy and enjoyable time for students, and set the tone for Homecoming Week.