As October draws to a close, Northwestern and Dordt students are entering into a whole new and exciting season. That’s right – it’s time for the return of the beloved singing, musical and performing competition, NC/DC.
The Northwestern Selection performance, going on tonight at 8 p.m. in Christ Chapel, will mark the beginning of the competition at NW. Solo singers and groups alike will be showcasing their incredible vocal abilities for fellow students. The competition is sure to be stacked with some amazing performances this year – usually, 10 to 12 groups are involved in this preliminary round, but earlier this week there were already 11 groups signed up with over a day to go before the deadline for entries were due, with a total of 24 entries.
“There are so many students who want to be in it this year,” said Lori Couch, Director of Student Activities.
Among those students who are ready to show us what they can do is junior Kristen Menchaca.
Menchaca first felt the desire to be involved after watching the NC/DC finals as a freshman. Last year, Menchaca made it all the way to the finals, thanks to her spectacular covers of songs from artists including Francesca Battistelli and Disney’s Pocahontas.
“I think my favorite part of the whole thing was seeing friends that I didn’t know could sing belting out songs,” said Menchaca.
This year, Menchaca will be performing in a group with Zach Borchardt. Menchaca will be playing the piano and Borchardt will be on the guitar, thrilling the audience with a song by Sir Elton John.
“I think it will be fun to do it with someone,” said Menchaca. “I’m excited to get the chance to share the experience!”
Heather Craven, with partner Emily Mahlum, auditioned for NC/DC for the first time. The two friends, both a bit nervous to sign up by themselves, decided to go for it together.
“I mostly wanted to do it because it looks fun and challenging, and I have enjoyed the atmosphere as an audience member,” said Craven. “It’s interesting to see people express themselves this way. it takes some guts!”
After tonight’s performances, NW students will be able to watch video clips of all the competitors and vote for the five singers or groups they want to see in the next round. Voting will be happening online, starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow and going until noon on Monday, at ncdcextreme.com.
From there, those selected will be heading to Dordt College on November 6th for the first round of competition involving both schools. During this round, judges will be commenting on the performances. The top two selections will advance to the NC/DC Extreme Finals on November 20th, held in the Bultman Center.
Although Dordt students may brag about its singers taking home the trophy more often than NW students, trends quickly change. Admission to each round of the competition is completely free, so come support NW students, then go online and vote.