Men’s and Women’s Soccer won this year’s second annual Chargers Got Talent, which took place in the Charger Gymnasium, Sunday, Feb. 22. Student-athletes created dances and skits to perform for their peers.
Each UNH athletic teams made a group to perform, in addition to recognized student organizations, WRITE POETRY and Fully Charged, who performed as well. The event is organized by UNH’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in coordination with the athletics department.
Over 500 tickets were sold for the event, totaling $1,513 to be donated to Make-A-Wish. Tickets were presold for two dollars, and three dollars at the door. Last year, the event raised $1,440.
The winners of the event, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, performed a series of dances together, while second place was awarded to Women’s Volleyball, who performed a workout skit, and third place was a tie between the athletic staff and the Women’s Track and Field team.
In their performance, athletic staff members each did an individual dance. Associate Vice President, Director of Athletics and Recreation, Deborah Chin, performed a karate-themed dance to “Kung Fu Fighting,” while the women’s track and field team danced to a mix of Beyoncé songs.
“The Women’s Volleyball ‘workout skit’ was hilarious, combining comedy, dance and musical talents,” said Richard Rotella, Undergraduate Student Government Association president.
Other performances of the night included a “Circle of Life” lip-sync skit by the Women’s Softball team and a Steve Irwin skit by the Football team.
This year’s judges included Rotella, Patricia Hughes, associate athletic director, and Lynn Derobertis, associate director, education programs and academic skills counselor.
“It was amazing to see such talented student-athletes showcase their creativity, since we don’t normally see them in that light,” said Rotella. “I had a lot of fun judging. It is an opportunity I don’t get very often, and working with the other judges was a blast.”
The MCs for the night were SAAC members JP DiTommaso, from the Men’s Soccer team, and Aquillin Hayes from Women’s Basketball.
The halftime performance was by WRITE POETRY, who individually performed their personal pieces.
“I had extreme jitters before, but I recited my poem and felt great after,” said Garrecia Powell, junior and vice president of WRITE POETRY.
The event concluded with a performance by Fully Charged and three gift card raffles.
At the end of the night, Chin thanked everyone for coming out and showing their support for a great cause.
