Put down your protractors, the second-annual talent show sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers is here.
"We just started it up last year, and we're trying to make it every year," said Joshua Spencer, NSBE president and senior in civil engineering. "Last year it wasn't that big, but we want it to be bigger this year."
The idea came from a prior event with which NSBE had success.
"It was an outgrowth of several years back when we held a Mr. Engineering contest with a talent portion," said Nels Madsen, NSBE adviser and professor of mechanical engineering. "One guy could do a Rubik's Cube behind his back. We had a really great time with it, and after that they thought a talent show would be really fun."
Any Auburn student can participate, and all Auburn students are welcome to attend.
The winners will receive Visa gift cards: $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third. Students who attend will receive eight spirit points.
Some of the talents will be similar, while others will be more distinctive.
"There will be musical performances: dancing, singing, rapping," Spencer said. "Most of it's musical, but not all of it. There's one person doing card tricks."
Whatever the act, NSBE feels it is sure to entertain.
"Last year we had a group of engineering students that sang in a trio, and it was just beautiful," Madsen said. "One guy--and I think this took enormous courage--did stand-up comedy."
There will be three judges for the show, and the criteria include overall performance level, originality, crowd appeal and personal opinion.
"Last year we watched and listened to every act, then we got together and gave a total number of points," said Madsen, who will return as a judge. "We pay attention to how the audience responds, and then we come to our ranking. We try to decide who the audience likes the best and who we like the best."
Tickets cost $5, and 25 percent of the proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County.
"We want to fulfill our mission statement, and part of it is to positively impact the community," Spencer said. "Impacting youth at an early age in a positive way can help them so that they can grow up to become engineers or doctors or whatever they want to do in the future."
Rose-Gaelle Belinga, graduate student in computer science and software engineering and former president of NSBE, offered another perspective on the event.
"It is good because people have the misconception that engineering students don't have a social life," Belinga said. "And because the proceeds go to charity it is really fun because many different organizations get involved for the cause and just to make fun of each other."
Madsen said NSBE hopes people from across campus come out to see another side of these engineering students.
"It's also a social outlet for people to put away all their work for a while and just relax and have a good time," Madsen said. "People can meet students across the college and even the University, and they can make some new friends."
The show will be at 6 p.m. Friday in Haley 2370.
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