What's the deal with this pop life?

You may have heard that IU Sing has been cancelled this year. Contrary to the word on the Extension, IU Sing is back, with a makeover to make it better than ever. With some key changes, the Indiana University Student Foundation hopes to restore IU Sing to its former glory.

This year marks the 78^th running of IU Sing. The first show was in 1932, sponsored by the YWCA and YMCA. The goal of IU Sing, which remains true today, was to involve housing units and organizations in a musical production, entertaining the campus and Bloomington community in efforts to raise money for student scholarships. In 1979, IUSF gained full responsibility for IU Sing.

For IU Sing, each act puts on a five to seven minute performance featuring choreographed singing and dancing. Every year the IUSF Steering Committee develops a theme for the show, which acts are to follow. This year’s theme is POP: All that was Pop, All that is Pop, All that will Pop. The show will center on all things pop culture, from Michael Jackson to Saved by the Bell to Woodstock to Kanye West. With the change of the theme also come many more changes to make the show more enjoyable and relaxed.

In the past, the IU Sing has been very formal. Production Staff, the committee that puts on IU Sing, typically wore tuxedos and long dresses to the event. That is changing this year. The audience is full of college kids wearing jeans, so why shouldn’t Production Staff follow suit? This will hopefully bring a more fun and relaxed atmosphere the show has previously lacked.

Another major change involves the music. In previous years, every act has been required to cast a full band to play the music. While the concept of a full band is a good idea, it is always a last minute scramble to throw together a band that can play Thriller. And lets be honest, it doesn’t sound the same from four frat guys.

This year acts are allowed to use recorded music. It is required to be purely instrumental, but this should bring an overall more enjoyable performance. Audio can be adjusted to hear the singers, dancers will be coordinated with the music, and the audience will actually recognize the song.

The final major change is that there will be two different awards ceremonies, one for each night. Last year, there was one overall award ceremony on Saturday night. For this IU Sing, each act will be put into a division and will receive their award that night. Changing this eliminates the need to purchase a ticket each night.

With these changes and a fantastic theme, IU Sing should not disappoint. Be on the lookout for more information on this year’s production as the semester ends and second semester gets rolling. It will be a show you will not want to miss!