Friday the 13th has always been associated with bad luck, but for those interested in talent, March 13 was their lucky day. Akron’s Got Talent is a program that was organized by The University of Akron’s own Zips Programming Network and Campus Programs.

At this event, students could showcase their talents and compete against one another for cash prizes. However, everyone who attended enjoyed free pizza at the intermission and also received a raffle ticket for a chance to win several smaller cash prizes.

The event kicked off at 9:00 p.m. in the Union Theatre and continued until a little after midnight. There were 19 performances in all, but each was unique. Three judges were set to give feedback after each performance, but ultimately the winners were determined by the audience. Votes were completed using a text messaging service.

Winners were announced directly after the final performance. First place went to Noor Hindi who performed a spoken word act. Second place went to Cincinnati & Co. for their dance routine and third place went to Chris Fowlkes for his dramatic dance routine.

Before the show, the lobby outside the theatre was bustling with people. Nervous performers and excited guests were greeted by a hard working staff looking forward to a successful show.

The event began with a unique dance routine put on by C.J. Chambers. A total of five acts were performed before intermission, at which time the first raffle ticket was drawn and pizza was given out. The crowd then returned to their seats to watch the remaining fourteen acts, which were led by Matthew Martin who sang while playing the keyboard and guitar. The crowd’s excitement remained throughout the night; however a few people did leave early.

The audience was diverse and had a variety of opinions. However, many of the acts seemed similar. A majority of the acts involved singing or playing instruments. One guest who wished to keep their anonymity said, “Most of the acts seem too similar to me. I really hope hula hoop dancers win, what they did was really unique.”

The performers were diverse and nearly all of them were nervous. Chandler Shoaf, one of the vocalists who performed, said, “Despite my preparation, I was still incredibly nervous to perform because I had no idea what to expect . . . Truthfully, I was nervous all the way through my performance, even though I was relatively happy with the results of my performance.”

Another performer, Rachel Logan, who performed in a duet, echoed these thoughts. She said “We practiced a lot and it was nerve wracking going up there [on stage], but the crowd made it fun.”

For those interested in similar events, there is an event Open Mic Night on April 8 in the Union Starbucks hosted by RHC and RHPB.