Browsing: All-University Sing

All-University Sing is a spectacle built on visuals as much as it is on vocals and choreography. While set pieces and lighting establish atmosphere, costumes often serve as the clearest bridge between concept and character.

Baylor’s annual SING tradition’s opening night was thursday, bringing student organizations to the stage for one of the university’s biggest performances of the year. LTVN’s Savannah Ford takes the stage.

Despite the work that goes into each position, each Waco Hall staff member pointed to others as the essential pieces in Sing’s success. Spring senior Jillian Herman noted the efforts of the performers themselves, Brazoria senior Isabella Davis the dedication of professional Waco Hall staff and Plano junior Oliver Dillard the importance of stagehands. All three conveyed Sing as a tradition not marked by performances or ticket sales, but by the cooperation of all parts in one machine.

According to Plano junior Oliver Dillard, a Waco Hall Ticketing Office staff member, the ticketing office allocates a set number of tickets to administration each year. The seats are usually in the center orchestra, and many are still unclaimed by the time Sing comes along. These tickets open to the public an hour before each show, so students can come early to secure a last-minute ticket.

Nearly 75 years ago, Baylor’s All-University Sing had little the pomp and circumstance it does today. On a rainy spring night in April 1953, a meager 13 souls gathered into Waco Hall to watch just eight groups perform after the weather had relocated them from their original location at the SUB Bowl.

The curtain may rise in February, but for the members of Baylor’s Student Productions Committee, the work behind All-University Sing begins long before taking the stage.

Sing Alliance is known for its high-energy themes and open-door policy; it’s become the route for many freshmen looking to take the stage in their first year at Baylor. For Waco freshman Zayn Matthews and Montgomery freshman Haley Conner, the organization gave them more than just the stage; it gave them a family.

For decades, Sing has been a cornerstone of Baylor life, connecting generations of students through a shared tradition. Alumni still remember the thrill of performances they were once a part of, while current students feel the excitement and responsibility of carrying that legacy forward.

The season of All-University Sing can be an intense period of late nights, crowded calendars and piles of untouched homework. During times that can be so chaotic, it becomes essential for students to find ways to rest, enabling them to balance their lives and recharge so that they can fully do their best and enjoy the process of Sing.

While every act feels brand new every year, Sing stands on decades of choreography notes, costume sketches, rehearsal photos and late-night practices that came before it.

Under the bright stage lights and carefully guarded themes, first-time All-University Sing participants at Baylor discover newfound excitement and appreciation for performing arts.

As the walls of Waco Hall begin to echo with songs and dancing, campus gears up for All-University Sing 2026. While opening night promises entertainment and dramatic reveals, what goes unnoticed is the real cost behind producing it all.

For decades, Greek organizations have dominated Baylor’s All-University Sing placements — and student leaders point to factors ranging from organizational size to built-in audience support as possible reasons why.

As Sing approaches, many multicultural organizations on campus continue to fight to make the supposed “all-university” event more inclusive for the entire student body.

It often seems that the organizations advancing to Pigskin Revue are those with the greatest number of members, most alumni support and the most funding. I believe Pigskin should feature the most entertaining and deserving groups, as they are deserving of recognition; however, smaller and less supported groups do not always appear to receive the same opportunity to advance to Pigskin.

While everyone talks about “Sing season” and the excitement surrounding it, that thrill isn’t universal. Students who aren’t in Greek life, who don’t have the connections or inside knowledge often watch from the sidelines, sometimes literally. Sing becomes a celebration for some and a reminder of exclusion for others.

As students return to Baylor’s campus for the spring semester, the university’s calendar is packed with an array of events that bring the campus together. Whether you’re into student-led performances, big-name shows or cultural moments, here’s a semester’s worth of events to mark on your calendar.

According to Magnolia, Ark. junior Olivia Claire Smith, Chi Omega president, repeat Sing performers bring the enthusiasm of the previous year’s performance. In the case of Chi Omega, which put on a top act last year, returning performers may help start a winning dynasty.

“No matter what the outcome is, and no matter what your feelings are about it, do it again,” Williams said. “Having joy for the process and tradition for the sake of experience and memories is really important.”

Among the groups participating is Sing Alliance, an organization that puts the “All University” in “All-University Sing,” according to the group’s president, Fort Worth junior Audrie Liles. Unlike other groups, Sing Alliance welcomes students from all corners of campus.

Today is the day when some of the best acts from February’s All-University Sing will return to Waco Hall for the annual Pigskin Revue. Tonight at 7 p.m. — opening night — Kappa Omega Tau, Chi Omega, Phi Kappa Chi, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Sing Alliance will take to the stage.

One additional All-University Sing act, Alpha Tau Omega, has been added to Pigskin Revue 2024 due to a scoring tabulation error within the judging process.

Burton currently works for the Houston Texans Cheerleaders and choreographs for high school drill teams on the side — but ever since Mission senior and Phi Gamma Delta Sing chair Christian Cavazos reached out to her in October, she has been collaborating with the fraternity to choreograph its All-University Sing act.

In 2023, Chi Omega and Alpha Tau Omega collaborated to take home the No. 1 spot. The Chi Omega president and a Alpha Tau Omega Sing chair talk about what helped them clinch first place.

Olivia Moses, assistant director of student productions, said demand is high, and purchasing tickets through the Waco Hall Ticket Office website provides the greatest chance at securing them. There are six shows in total taking place Feb. 15-17 and Feb. 22-24, but tickets should be purchased immediately upon release as they tend to sell out quickly.

This is the one time in our lives when it’s OK — and, in fact, expected — to be selfish. No one is dependent on us. We’re just here, trying to figure out what career we want to pursue for the next several decades while simultaneously learning how to sort laundry, pay rent and cook anything other than bagels or ramen. It’s about growth. It’s about self-discovery. It’s about independence.

Once | Feb. 22 – 26 | Feb. 23 – 25: 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 26: 2 p.m. | Mabee Theater, Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center, 1401 S University Parks Drive | $15 | Baylor Theater puts on five sold-out shows of this musical, centering around the love story of two musicians in Dublin, Ireland.

Heathers | Feb. 22 | 7:30 p.m. | Waco Civic Theatre, 1517 Lake Air Drive | $18 – $20 | Silent House Theatre company puts on a production of this classic, ’80s-inspired musical in collaboration with Waco Civic Theater.

Fraternity Phi Kappa Chi was awarded first place at All-University Sing this past weekend.