The School of Architecture and Allied Arts packed the house at the Indigo District on Friday night for the second annual AA&A Talent Show. Organized by the Student Association for Women in Architecture, the event featured raffle prizes, music, architectural fashion and even dog tricks.
“SAWA thought a talent show would get people together to do some fun and weird things, and a raffle drawing would be a great way to raise money,” said Kelly Shifflett, a SAWA member and event organizer.
SAWA is an organization dedicated to the education and promotion of gender equality and diversity in the architecture department, profession and related communities, its Web site says.
The theme Friday night was “Architectural Talent Throughout Time.” Student emcees Patrick Berning and Beth Eisenhower rolled through slides from different architectural periods, joking about the industrial revolution and the 1950s innovation of suburbia.
Acts included several bands, a sexy yet “architecture-y” poetry reading, didgeridoo music, beat boxing and a live performance of the video game Guitar Hero. Colin Leland, a return performer, flipped tricks with his yo-yo for an enthusiastic crowd while people danced and sipped drinks in the red glow of the Indigo District.
Referring to her colleagues, Eisenhower said, “We just see their architecture sides, but never see the rest of their lives.”
All of those who performed are part of the architecture program and many are in the midst of thesis projects or graduation plans.
“It’s impressive that they would put time into this at the same time,” said Shifflett.
Gauri Rajbaidya and his friends only started rehearsing their talent three days before the event. With a guitar, bass and drum set, the group played a few Buena Vista Social Club songs, including “Chan Chan”.
In their program, Rajbaidya said they “really don’t have much time to do stuff like this.”
In a crowd of mostly architecture students, Rajbaidya did not feel any pressure since they were “playing for friends.”
Attendees won raffle prizes ranging from bags of rubber bands to dinner for two or compact fluorescent light bulbs to a Weber Smokey Joe Silver Grill.
During raffle ticket sales the stage was set up for Barber Shop Roulette. SAWA’s daring contestant picked from several balloons containing slips of paper describing various hairstyles, one of which would soon be his new do. The winning style was called a MoFo, and the transformation was carried out on stage while Amy Winehouse’s jazz-funk slid from the speakers.
Jennie Hagenberger and Amanda Rhodes, both first-year graduate students in the architecture program, came to the talent show to “take a break from studio,” according to Hagenberger.
Rhodes said, “We spend a lot of time studying, so it’s good to get together and relax.”