Students during the day and dancers and musicians at night — Shippensburg University students have more than just smarts going for them.

Round 2 of “Ship’s Got Talent” welcomed back seven of the best performers to share their talents with their friends and peers Wednesday in the Ceddia Union Building’s (CUB) Multipurpose Room (MPR).

Jake Doyle

Starting off the night was singer and acoustic guitar player junior Jake Doyle. Putting his own spin on Drake’s popular song “Controlla,” Doyle began with an intro on guitar that blended into an overdub as he took the mic to sing. Doyle’s indie and relaxed vibe radiated throughout his performance and made it feel almost as if he was performing in a downtown coffee house instead of in front of a panel of judges.

Isabella Marcellino

Following Doyle was sophomore Isabella Marcellino who was the first dance performer to take the stage. Performing to “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublè, Marcellino’s jazz-ballet dance routine was high energy from start to finish. Much like the title of Bublè’s song, Marcellino’s performance left the audience “feeling good” going into the third performance as she hit every turn, kick and movement with purpose and fluidity.

Maggie Haynes

Stepping on the stage with an unbreakable fierce gaze was freshman, Maggie Haynes. Singing Sam Smith’s “Writing on the Wall,” Haynes took her performance to the next level by surprising the audience with a mystery dancer who joined her onstage mid-song. The duo embodied the emotions of the song with subtle yet meaningful dance moves that incorporated passion and theatricalism.

Kasandra Lawyer

The 2016 “Ship’s Got Talent” winner Kasandra Lawyer took a risk in performing the vocally challenging Adele song, “When We Were Young.” However, to the surprise of many, Lawyer owned the stage, hitting both low and high notes with ease. While Adele is hard to mimic, Lawyer strayed from mimicking by adding the right amount of soul and originality to the song to make it her own.

Elite Modeling Troupe

Strutting on stage after Lawyer was Elite Modeling Troupe. Decked in fishnets and dangerously high heels for dancing, the troupe danced outside of the box, performing in “tribute to all the hottest female artists.” With sass, sex appeal and skill, the troupe twerked and hip rolled their way through their dance routine with complete control over their bodies and the audience.

Marissa Strouse

Mellowing the mood following Elite Modeling Troupe was freshman Marissa Strouse. Strouse captured the hearts of the audience early on as she dedicated the song, “All Of The Stars” by Ed Sheeran to her girlfriend 4,000 miles away. With guitar in hand and a soft and sweet voice similar to Ellie Golding meets Birdy, Strouse’s performance brought many to the verge of tears. As Strouse belted out her heart with her eyes closed, the audience was merely a fly on the wall witnessing a beautiful musical moment with Strouse and her girlfriend.

“D.B.J”

The last performance of the night was four-person band, “D.B.J,” performing a version of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” D.B.J three-part harmonized with accompaniment on keyboard that blended together quite smoothly as each voice added a distinct and pleasant texture to the overall sound. The band wore smiles that radiated throughout the entirety of its performance that displayed the close-knit bond that the group shares.

Results

After the final performance, the audience was encouraged to take out their cellphones and vote for their favorite performance by texting the performers name to the number provided. The top three performers with the most votes will move on to the “Ship’s Got Talent” finale where they will perform two acts each.

After much anticipation, Strouse was the first performer to get voted through to the next round with the most votes from the audience, followed by Elite Modeling Troupe and Haynes.

The finale of “Ship’s Got Talent will be held April 5 at 9 p.m. in the CUB MPR. The show will feature unconfirmed guest performances and those in attendance will also have a chance to win prizes throughout the night. 

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