You know Fitz judges passes and tackles, but do you ever wonder what he thinks about dancing?
The Student-Athlete Advisory Council is hosting the first ever Student-Athlete Talent Show next month, where student-athletes will dance, sing and joke their way into the hearts of some well-known judges.
“This is a unique and special way for the student-athletes to be showcased in a different way,” said sophomore Jonathan Harris, co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and goalkeeper on the men’s soccer team. A talent show had been suggested in previous years, Harris said, but the student-athletes demanded it this year and the planning started right after winter break.
All funds raised – there’s a suggested donation of $3 at the door – will go to the Kathryn Mahoney Fund, named for senior Michigan State gymnast Kathryn Mahoney, who was left paralyzed from the neck down after a vaulting accident earlier this year.
“As much as Northwestern is a family, we’re always looking for ways to help the Big Ten family,” Harris said. The Council is trying to get Mahoney, a Chicago native, to come to the show.
The entire show will be student-run. The acts will span from comedic skits to dancing, and student-athletes will emcee the show. As for the judges, Harris said the Council “picked judges that the student-athletes know and love, but also names students know to draw them in as well.” The decision-makers are head football coach Pat Fitzgerald, Dean of Students Burgwell Howard, strength coach Jay Hooten, and one surprise judge, Harris said.
While this is only the first show, Harris expects there to be many more to come. “I think that people will enjoy it enough that it will be a yearly thing,” he said.
The show will take place Tuesday, May 3 at 7 p.m. in Ryan Auditorium.