Written by Steven Chandler
Harding’s newly designed talent show, the Burksy’s, will be hosting public tryouts today at 7 p.m. in the Administration Auditorium.
After last year’s talent show, CAB director Corey McEntyre and Assistant Director of Admissions Logan Light started thinking of ways to make the talent show better. In an effort to reform the program, they looked to the past.
Years ago, a talent competition called the “Harding Awards” awarded finalists prizes, including signed pictures of Dr. Burks. However, McEntyre and Light decided it was not enough to bring back an old program; it needed to be different.
“How can we take it a step further; like Apple, how can we make it better?” McEntyre said.
It was decided that an awards-type format would be used for this year’s talent show, renamed “the Burksy’s.” Like on an awards show, they plan to hand out awards, notably the Burks bobbleheads, and to offer entertainment acts.
“I’m looking forward to creating a new tradition,” Light said. “In our planning, Corey and I envisioned the Burksy Awards being something that the students look forward to every early spring.”
From the auditions only three acts will be chosen. So far, contestants range from performances of original songs to demonstrations of pain tolerance. Anyone is able to watch auditions in the Administration Auditorium where contestants can get up and do what they do best in hopes of winning a Burksy.
“Really, I would like to see some new things,” Light said. “Every year there are singers. I know that is certainly a talent, one that escapes me, but what I want to see variety. Maybe a comedy routine, maybe a juggler. I want to see some students who put in thought and work to have their shot at a Burksy.”
Contestants have put a great deal of hard work into being ready for the auditions in hopes to advance to the Burksy’s.
“I knew the auditions were coming up this spring semester, so I went ahead and chose my song in the fall,” senior MaryCaitlin Tanksley said. “As soon as I came back, I asked my friends Rebecca Morris and Devon Newburn if they would perform with me. We have already practiced several times, and I could not be happier with our progress.”
Tanksley is not the only one who has been practicing. Cousins Garrett Russell and Richard Schneider have been practicing an original song. For a long time they have wanted to get together and perform, and now the Burksy’s auditions have given them this chance.
“Corey and I are both very excited about the Burksy’s,” Light said. “We have spent a lot of time on the planning end of things in hopes that it will come across as a professional award show, not something that was thrown together at the last minute. We are looking forward to having a lot of people in attendance and for the camaraderie that will follow.”
The Burksy’s is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27 in the Benson Auditorium. It will also include audience participation: viewers will vote via text message. McEntyre and Light said they are hoping to keep the program shrouded in mystery as much as possible until the date arrives.
“What are we going to do?” McEntyre asked. “We are not going to tell you, but it is going to be awesome … I want to blow peoples’ minds. I want people to walk away being like, ‘That was the greatest thing I‘ve ever watched.'”
