Rowan’s Got Talent brings out the best of the best

The student center was filled with cheering students, friends and family this past Monday in support of their favorite contestants in the “Rowan’s Got Talent” showcase. Contestants were required to audition their act to the judges, prior to being selected to perform in the show.

The diverse group of vocally-talented contestants faced an enthusiastic audience and the judgments of Rowan President Donald Farish, senior journalism major and The Whit Editor-In-Chief Emily Kostic and Rowan alumni “Stink” Fisher (owner of Pop Shop and actor in “The Lovely Bones”), in hopes of being voted winner of the $300 first place prize.

The end result was junior secondary education and English major Dan Wythoff of Mt. Laurel, N.J. taking first place, while freshman health and physical education major Becky Derer of Cherry Hill, N.J. came in second and band members Ross Iskowitz, Jason Moffatt, senior business management major, and Jed Blume, senior English, philosophy and religion major, placed third. Iskowitz, Moffat and Blume, veteran Rowan event performers, performed “If Not Me.”

The stage setting consisted of black draping and dim lighting that showcased colored spotlights accompanied by theme music that resembled the catchy tunes of TV’s favorite talent search shows. It was a job well done by the Rowan Television Network, who offered a personable, yet real life setting.

The night began with the very talented Derer, who shocked the crowd with her strong rendition of “Me and Bobby McGee,” proving that big things can come in small packages. Derer has done a few open mics around the area.

She was followed by savvy soloist and senior theater major Andrew Clotworthy from Maryland, and rap duo Dan Hooker, senior communications studies major, and Justin Piccillo, junior civil engineering major, who gave a performance that intertwined rap and song in a harmonious fashion, leaving an impression on the audience.

Next was the ever-so-sweet Wythoff, who serenaded the audience with his own acoustic rendition of the Outkast song “Hey Ya.” While his performance was laid back and somewhat casual, it was a powerhouse hit with the audience.

Lifelong singer and junior communications major Shana Schmoyer of Newark, Del. chose a theatrical rendition of the Taylor Swift hit song, “You Belong With Me,” accompanied by guitarist Jason Selvaggio, gathering her confidence midway through and ending with strong performance.

“All Day,” consisting of Joe Penn of Sicklerville, N.J., and Jimmy, Kyle and Dana Cappana of Glassboro, N.J. were next and undoubtedly proved to be the crowd pleaser of the night. Performing an original song that presented a catchy tune and listener friendly lyrics, it was no surprise that by the end of the act the audience was singing along with the band.

Next on stage, duo Angela Tofani, senior radio/TV/film major and journalism minor, and Mandy DiPietro, junior theater major, gave a soulful, yet playful rendition of the Sara Bareilles song, “Vegas.” Singing together for two years, the duet showed why two voices are way better than one. They won the “People’s Choice Award” for Gloucester County’s Got Talent last month.

Last but definitely not least, the band Ross performed an original piece that showcased sounds of African drums and the strong, yet soothing voice of their lead singer.

The contestants weren’t the only ones putting on a show Monday night. Rowan’s mascot, the Prof, was a huge hit. With each intercession, the Prof shimmied and gyrated through the audience, hyping the crowd. The Prof even got the judges engaged when he ran around their table messing up their hair, paying extra special attention to Farish.

By the end of the show, all of the performances led to the verdict of a winner being close to impossible. With so many talented artists, it was going to be up to the audience to vote for their favorite. Over 275 text messages voted to cast a winner.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better show,” said senior radio/TV/film major and host of the show Ashley Zazzarino. “As for the performances, everyone was so different and talented; I couldn’t even predict the top three.”

While all of the contestants were not able to be named as winners at Monday night’s showcase, it’s fair to say without question, Rowan’s got talent.