Goshen College hosted its annual Kick-Off talent show on Friday to start homecoming week. Students brought lots of energy and enthusiasm to each act and were dressed in masquerade-themed outfits and masks. 

This year’s event was hosted by Teo Kingsley, a senior theater major, and Maille Goodwill, a junior sign language interpreting major. While the acts were onstage, students jumped, clapped and waved their phone flashlights. There were even a few attempts to body surf through the crowd. 

The event had nine different performances this year, including singing, dancing, sign language, concertina and an improv performance from GC’s Improv Club. Jory Umble, a sophomore nursing major, and Nevaeh Link, a sophomore music education major, took home the trophy for their performance of “Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan.

Link said, “It was so surreal walking out onto the stage. One of my favorite parts of the performance was looking out into the audience and seeing my friends cheering me on. I’m so grateful for the memories, the support and everyone who made this experience so special!” 

Umble mentioned how vital the audience was during the performance. “Even if the goal isn’t to win, the experience on stage is so much better when the audience knows the song and wants to sing along. It’s really an incredible feeling,” he said. 

“I love the atmosphere and am always shocked by the talents everyone brings to the table,” Umble said. 

This is Umble’s second consecutive Kick-Off victory, after his solo act last year.

Caitlin Yoder-Rupp, a first-year music education major, was “impressed by the level of participation in the theme from the students and the general atmosphere of enthusiasm.” She said, “Teo and Maille were also hilarious hosts,”  and mentioned how impressed she was with the synchronization of the dance group Golden Milkshake. 

Zion Miller, a first-year nursing major, said that she was very surprised by the talent that Goshen College had to show for Kick-off. Miller also mentioned that she was highly entertained by the improv club. 

Ella Kodicek, a first-year nursing major, said that she appreciated the ASL performance because it offered good representation for other languages and language clubs. 

Katie Bierbrauer, a sophomore sign language interpreting major, performed with Hands On Beat, who signed to “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton. She said that the club decided to join the competition just about a week before the performance and that it was a very quick turnaround to translate and practice things before auditions. Bierbrauer said, “Participating in Kick-Off helped me appreciate the other groups’ performances more because I now understand how much work goes into performing.”