Saturday night saw a flashback to the 1920’s for the annual spring Kickoff event, and like the decade in U.S. history, it was extravagant. The student population turned out in droves to support the thirty students who competed. Acts ranged in content, including multiple bands, tap and pop dance, solo voice performances, original rap piece and a poem recitation. The theme for the evening was “The Great Gatsby.” The Campus Activities Council supported the theme with hosts dressed in flapper dresses and feather boas, and the appearance of Charlie Chaplin, both in a video skit and as represented by Kevin...

By Lydia Good • January 28, 2016 • News

  [caption id="attachment_31976" align="alignright" width="299"] Sophomore Achieng Agutu performs the co-written poem “Light Another Candle, Say Another Prayer” with Ammon Allen-Ducot, a senior.Photo by Hannah Sauder.[/caption] Abandoning the usual camp t-shirts and sweatpants, Goshen College students en masse, headed over to Sauder Music Center at 10:00 p.m. on Sept. 26 for Kick Off. Prior to the event, students hustle out and about the dorms, run back and forth from the bathroom to add finishing touches on their faces and clothes. There is almost an air of competition even amongst the spectators, as fellow students eye over their shoulder to see...

By Dona Park • October 1, 2015 • News

The spring semester of 2015 started off with a bang this past Saturday night in Sauder Concert Hall as Goshen College students competed in Kick Off, a talent show held every semester and planned by Campus Activities Council. The night began with Not the Real Snarky Puppy, a large instrumental number, followed by a poem performed by freshman Annie Agutu. “I felt very empowered,” said Agutu. “I was nervous at first but loosened up once I felt the energy from the audience.” Agutu’s performance produced a standing ovation from the audience. “The standing ovation really hit me hard in a...

By Maddie Birky • January 29, 2015 • News

With the holiday break officially over, Goshen students can begin looking forward to Spring Kick Off, which will be held Saturday, January 24th in Sauder Hall. The Campus Activities Council (CAC), headed up by Katie Dwyer-Zeman, has been planning this semester’s show since before Christmas break. They will produce a show similar to years past but with a few changes. “The theme for Spring Kick Off is less definable than the past few shows,” said Dwyer-Zeman, “but you can expect CAC members to entertain the audience throughout the show with short Minute To Win It inspired competitions. Our goal each...

By Jacob Penner • January 15, 2015 • News

Students, in cocktail frocks, ironed down shirts and Academy Award winning outfits, abandoned their school work to attend one of the most anticipated events at Goshen College: Sauderday Night Live Kick-Off. Donning “Dad” jeans and showing off their dance moves, seniors Taylor Ermoian, Caleb Longenecker and Rachel Smucker emceed the event. This year, Kick Off displayed an array of performances: poetry, burlesque style singing, original songs and comedy skits. Ammon Allen-Doucot, a junior, and Seth Yoder, a senior, placed first with “Compulsive Masculinity,” a passionate poetry jam. MP and Company, made up of Martin Flowers, a junior; Prashansa Dickson, a...

By Dona Park • September 24, 2014 • Arts

For most people, this Kick Off was different. “More polished,” said some. “Nicer,” said others. Maybe it was the Campus Activity Council’s $5 admission fee for all attendees, with proceeds from the evening going to Habitat for Humanity. According to Katie Dwyer-Zeman, Goshen College has laid plans for further interaction with and support for Habitat projects as the semester continues. This semester, CAC introduced a unique innovation for the Kick Off performers: each group had to produce a six-second “Vine” video that would act as an introduction to their performance. The audience enjoyed these videos between acts, in contrast to...

By T.J. Keiderling • January 29, 2014 • Arts

Goshen’s fall semester Kicked off with sultry country tunes, bags of women, original songs, and freshman out to share the talents they are bringing to GC. The Price is Right themed event ran two hours and covered 13 acts with breaks padded by games and MC-ing by Angel Eriberto Reyes, a junior. Both the first and second place winners of this year’s Kickoff were acts that had never before graced the stage of Sauder Hall.  First place went to “The Bag Ladies”—six Goshen College women suited up in brightly colored amorphous bags. The unidentifiable women were Emma Caskey, a sophomore,...

By Elizabeth Derstine • October 6, 2013 • Arts

Goshen’s fall semester is being hailed in with a “Price is Right”-themed kickoff, “Kick It Off Right!” With prizes, mini games and a Bob Barker doppelganger, Campus Activities Council is providing the whole game show package. Audience members will be able to participate in, among other things, a contestant’s row, bidding games and a Plinko board—a large board full of nails with slots at the bottom.  A player drops in a hockey puck and depending on which slot the hockey puck lands in, will receive a prize or no prize. The board was provided through the effort of Ben Hochstetler,...

By Elizabeth Derstine • September 25, 2013 • Arts

They may be on opposite ends of their collegiate careers, but Martin Flowers, a first-year, and Emily Trapp, a senior, put their age difference aside and their music skills together to place second at the spring 2013 Kick-Off. This was Trapp’s sixth Kick-Off appearance and Flowers’ second after he won the event last semester. It was Flowers’ fall Kick-Off solo debut that first sparked the idea for Trapp. “I heard him sing at Kick-Off in the fall and he did an amazing job,” said Trapp, a music major from Oregon. “I was very inspired by his performance. I was like, ‘yep,...

By Vanessa Jones • January 30, 2013 • Arts

Goshen’s biannual talent night brought raw talent and strong competition to a big stage, but it was Mara Weaver and the seniors who stole the show. The ensemble, made up entirely of seniors, performed a rendition of “Some Nights” by Fun that incorporated a large choir, a choreographed stomp team and an array of musical instruments that impressed the judges enough to place first among tough competition. “It was like comparing apples and oranges,” said Skip Barnett, one of the four event judges. “[All of the acts] were fabulous and there was a lot of variety.” “It was Mara’s brainchild,”...

By Jeffrey Moore • January 30, 2013 • News

Photo by Hannah Bartel Beginning with President Jim Brenneman and the rest of the president’s council dancing to the viral song “Gangnam Style,” and finishing with Billy Funk, a senior, and Sam Weaver, a sophomore, doing a tap dance, this semester’s kick-off was filled with talent. Martin Flowers, a first-year, made his GC debut by showing his incredible vocal range in Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” earning him first place. Ammon Allen-Docout, a first-year, won second place for his original poetry. Funk and Weaver came in third place. Lizzy Diaz, a senior who participated in the opening dance number, said about...

By Hayley Brooks • October 2, 2012 • Arts

Talent was flowing like a river Saturday night. “Tonight is a night to take the talent we already know is there, and make it visible for all to see,” said Joel Kawira, a member of Campus Activities Council, who played President Obama in the show's introduction. This semester's Kick-Off, entitled "Menno Night Live,” was also a demonstration of the support and love Goshen College had to offer for its own Eddie Mayorga, a college employee. A version of the show was put on at 7 p.m. for community members, which Mayorga attended. A 10 p.m. production was presented for students. Proceeds from...

By Josh Yoder • February 2, 2012 • News

Students donned their finest apparel for the 2011 spring kickoff last Saturday, themed "A Formal Affair."  As usual, hundreds of gussied up Goshen College students filled Sauder Concert Hall, anticipating a great show. Justin Yoder, a sophomore, said, “The variety of acts is one of the best parts of kickoff. It’s always fun to see what unique ideas people come up with.” In the fall semester, Yoder was a member of the cello and drum group “Chell-Yeah” that came away with first place for an original rendition of “The Final Countdown.” This semester, yet another colorful array of creative and surprising acts was...

By Maddie Ruth • February 5, 2011 • News

Hundreds of eager Goshen College students packed themselves into Sauder Concert Hall Friday evening for the Fall 2010 Kick-off. This year’s theme was “Goshen Goes to the Moon,” which was quickly apparent in Campus Activities Council’s opening “Space Jam” routine.  Traditionally, CAC has instigated a theme for each Kickoff and hosted the show in addition to their year-round duties planning campus events and hosting hour-afters. Friday evening's talent show displayed a variety of student talents including a whirlwind of 80's dance hits, a vampire love story, vuvuzelas and an epic cello solo. The winning act of the evening was a...

By Ariel Ropp • September 30, 2010 • News

Goshen College students were surprised at Spring Kick Off last Saturday. Not only because of Goshen’s longstanding tradition of talent, but because of the new policies. No coats, no bags and don’t forget your bathroom pass! The Campus Activities Council (CAC) enforced the policies for two reasons: to follow other standards and to prevent problems from previous years. It is standard procedure for music performances that people hang up their coats in coat room provided. “We were just following suit,” Tim Blaum, of CAC, said. Goshen College has had numerous problems with spilled drinks, chewing tobacco on the floor and...

By Kelsey Shue • February 5, 2010 • News