Judges and audiences eagerly anticipated who would be eliminated and accepted for the next round of APB’s “Ship’s Got Talent.”

Last Wednesday, the list of participants was cut in half, and the event was naturally shorter.

Each participant remaining showed a short video explaining why they wanted to win, and most of them explained how it would help them financially. A few bucks would go a long way.

Shippensburg University President George F. “Jody” Harpster signed on as one of the judges, and J.C. Morgan, assistant coach for SU football, and Kapris Brown of SU’s Multicultural Student Affairs returned as judges.

First, Kassandra Lawyer returned, this time singing Monica’s “Love All Over Me,” dedicated to Lawyer’s fiancé. Just like the first round, Lawyer was powerful, and also soft during the sweet moments. Judges were impressed

Next, Bailey Welch sang an acoustic version of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” It was an original take on the song. Even though Welch was nervous at the beginning, she pulled through and got a long applause at the end.

Next, Dino returned with his acoustic guitar and played the complicated song, “Irresistible,” by Fall Out Boy. Dino showed off his virtuosic skills. He was tight and on point between chord transitions. This time around, Dino offered a high vocal register, which established his range as a singer. Harpster called him a “great guitarist.”

Next, Sophia sang the beautiful “At Last” by Etta James. Once again, Sophia proved her vitality as a Big Band and Soul singer, and she blew away the audience. The judges were amazed.

Morgan said he wanted to see Sophia return, and Brown reminded her to “stay in the zone” as a performer.

Next, Tara Kennedy sang an original acoustic song “Stupid Muse.” With a strong, intense voice, and complicated guitar playing, Kennedy showed her talent as a singer/songwriter.

Morgan had a great appreciation for “those who can sing and play guitar with great lyrics,” and Brown noted that Kennedy was “passionate.”

Lastly, War + Peace sang a Punk Rock version of Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off.” Although the lead singer was dancing around and was full of energy, the rest of his band did not display much enthusiasm. Unfortunately, it cost them a bid into the next round.

With that, Lawyer, Sophia, and Kennedy were selected for the third round of “Ship’s Got Talent.” The date and time for the third round has yet to be determined.

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