The first day of the spring semester also means the first practice for the organizations participating in All-University Sing.
Sing is a Baylor tradition where 18 organizations create seven-minute singing and dancing acts that follow a specific storyline. For students, tickets go on sale at 6 p.m. today, and for the general public, at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
The students involved dedicate their time throughout the weeks and months leading up to the event to create and perfect their acts. Each group selects Sing chairwoman to facilitate and prepare their act.
Dallas junior Sabrina Fisher is a Sing chair for Zeta Tau Alpha. Her desire for a leadership role in the organization and an outlet to use her major, apparel merchandising, led her to the position. Fisher created the theme and designed the costumes for Zeta Tau Alpha’s Sing act.
“I think Sing as a whole is really entertaining,” Fisher said, “Everyone loves watching us and seeing what we have been working on for so long. Seeing everyone dancing and having fun, that’s what it’s all about.”
The Sing chairs start to work on the acts about 10 months prior to the performance. The theme development, costumes, song choice and choreography must be arranged before the theme is presented and taught to the rest of the organization.
Pi Beta Phi Sing chair, Lufkin senior Mary Margaret Fenley, said when the group’s four Sing chairs were deciding the theme, they were originally divided, but eventually found a perfect idea that they believe is best for their organization.
Pi Beta Phi won first place in Sing 2016 and brought their act “Meet Me In Ze Alps” to Pigskin Revue during Homecoming 2016. Sing 2017 will be Fenley’s second time as Sing chair.
“It is a lot of pressure because when I signed up I knew I’d be competing against other groups,” Fenley said. “But I didn’t realize I’d be competing with myself.”
Waco senior Wesley Abercrombie will complete his third time as a Sing chair for Pi Kappa Phi this year. Abercrombie said it is important to choose a theme that the guys will enjoy performing.
“It keeps morale high during practice when the guys are proud of the theme,” Abercrombie said.
Sing is a time commitment for everyone involved and is academically taxing on the students’ first two months of the spring semester.
“It is definitely the most stressful thing I have been in charge of or even been a part of,” Fisher said. “But when everything starts to come together around January, then the fun part is just watching it happen and everyone making it their own. It is a huge time commitment that is so worth it.”
Performances will be Feb. 16-18 and 23-25 in Waco Hall.
