By Martin Hickman
BCC student Patrick Smith planned on sharing his poetry to win BCC’s Got Talent event last week, but it was an impromptu freestyle session with three friends that netted the first prize of a $25 cafeteria coupon.
Smith performed spoken word poetry on the cafeteria stage last Wednesday, then when event host Michelle Liu asked if anyone else wanted to come up on stage, he brought his group back with him for a second set.
“I was really trying to win for myself [the first time], but us winning felt better than just me winning,” said Smith.
Smith and his co-performers Vladimir Mkroumyan, Rahn Jackson and Arturo Brambilu, all BCC students, received the only perfect score of 40 from the four judges. The event continued for a second day on Friday, but nobody matched their top score.
“I guess we entertained,” said Smith. “That was the point so it felt good.”
This was the first “BCC’s Got Talent” event, and was put on in support of “Spirit Week,” which ran from Oct. 20-24, said Liu, who is also a volunteer program coordinator for the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program (PTP).
Liu and fellow volunteer coordinator Jenny Linna organized the event with Campus Activites Board (CAB) and the Associated Student Government (ASG). Funding from those two student organizations helped set up the talent show, which drew 16 performances.
The types of performances were widely varied. While initially the event was titled: “BCC Idol,” Liu and Linna changed the name to encourage more types of talent than just singing.
The result was everything from break dancing, salsa, modern dance, spoken word, folk music, guitar “slapping” and or course, singing.
“It was rockin’,” said Linna.
Liu said they chose the cafeteria stage because of the pre-existing audience and to get people excited for the Friday show.
“I think some students were surprised to see their friends jump up on stage and show their talent,” she said. “We’re hoping that next time they’ll be encouraged to jump up on stage and perform themselves.”
Liu said the next talent show could be in spring quarter.
As for the winners, Smith said they could be found free styling in a circle by the L Building most days and it’s really something they do “just for fun.”