Ben Miller
Layout Editor
Music blared from the J.C. Williams Center Thursday night as students joined in a karaoke competition being held in the atrium.
The Franciscan Voice karaoke competition, hosted by Exc!te, offered a night of free singing and snacking with the addition of free beer provided for those over 21.
Senior Mike Hardy won the Franciscan Voice competition with his performance of “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood. The prize was a $100 Amazon gift card.
The second-place prize of $50 was awarded to sophomores Franke Mahar and Elijah Macaborski who sang “Just Give Me a Reason” by P!nk and Nate Ruess.
Third place resulted in a tie between freshman Kelby McManus and junior Gabriel Zapata. Both were awarded a $25 gift card.
Junior Craig Shepardson, Exc!te’s vice president of events and logistics, emceed the competition.
Shepardson opened the night by thanking Exc!te for hosting and explaining the rules of the competition. Students who wished to compete for the prize money entered at a table set to the left of the stage. The audience was able to vote at any time throughout the night, though they were limited to one vote per person, at the same table.
The night began with students singing songs from many different genres, to the roaring approval of the audience.
One highlight of the night was freshman Brian LaFata singing “That’s What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction.
Another crowd favorite came when Shepardson elected to sing “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” by Luke Combs, accompanied by senior Rafe Lewis.
Freshman Cassie Martinez sang two songs throughout the night, including “Titanium” by David Guetta.
“It was fantastic,” Martinez said. “Getting to see everyone singing and having a good time made the night a blast.”
Madeleine Van Haute, Exc!te’s vice president of marketing and media, said she was nervous about the turnout of this event but was ultimately pleased with the results.
“I didn’t really know what to expect for this event in terms of how many people would show up or how many would even sign up to sing,” Van Haute said. “I was really impressed with the turnout and everyone seemed to really enjoy it.”
Shepardson closed the night by announcing the winners and inviting students to Exc!te’s next event, Pints with Professors, taking place Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Students interested in Exc!te can visit their weekly meetings, Wednesdays at 11 a.m. in the St. Margaret room of the J.C. Williams Center.