Orientation 2006, one might say, alternated between exhibitions of energy and talent. It started off with Playfair, a veritable explosion of enthusiasm. Next, Craig Karges showed off his amazing psychic talents. Convocation celebrated the talent of the new students, then the Carnegie Games let students expend more energy. It’s only fitting that Orientation should close with the combination of the two, in the form of the Orientation Talent Show.

Brittany McCandless and Colin Brush, junior Orientation Counselors from HSS and CFA respectively, emceed the event spectacularly, throwing in comments, jokes, and songs before and after acts. However, talented as they were, the focus was not on them. The first-years dazzled everyone with their myriad musical and other miscellaneous talents. Luckily, a good number of the freshman class came out to see their peers; Rangos Ballroom was so packed that Brush and McCandless had to ask the crowd to scoot forward so that those in the back could fit.

The first act to perform was a band called the Dirty Birds, affectionately named after OC and HSS junior Colin Sternhell. Their music had no lyrics, but the crowd was nevertheless enthusiastic, especially after one of the band members implored the crowd to get on their feet. They were followed by Drop, a dance trio consisting of CIT first-years Sid Gupta, Yang Gao, and Erik Totong, who deftly performed a variety of dance styles through three hip-hop songs.

CIT first-year Robert Wiegmann, the first solo act of the night, won rousing applause for his rendition of Ben Folds’ “Zak and Sara,” while SHS first-year David Plotkin continued with a comedy act. In a move that caused some observers to roll their eyes while others wondered why they didn’t think of it, Plotkin asked for a standing ovation, and got one. HSS first-year Nathan Zoob, however, got a standing ovation without asking for one for a heartfelt song that he wrote when he was 15.

The Weapons of Mass Seduction, consisting of CFA first-year Ian McEuen, CIT first-year Steven Stecker, and CIT first-year James Forbes kept the show rocking. Next, a group from the second floor of New House performed a “very serious urban contemporary number,” to quote Brush, to the song “Jump On It.” By “very serious,” Brush probably meant “consisting of fake breakdancing in which two dancers moved the feet of another one.” But then CIT first-year Tony Felice showed some very serious talent with a blazingly fast ragtime piano piece that he wrote and performed expertly.

HSS first-year Annika Rosenvinge sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” with only minimal backup from her guitar, prompting the audience to hold up their cell phones like lighters from concerts of yore. It was really a very pretty effect! CIT first-year Evan Gates followed by showing two talents: juggling and Rubik’s Cube solving. He withstood a challenge from SCS first-year Sekhar Bhagavatula by solving a cube faster than him.

Three musical acts followed, but their diversity reflected the diversity of CMU as a whole. CIT first-year Preetha Raghu sang a traditional Indian song, HSS first-year Guy Russo sang a song he wrote himself, and a group consisting of HSS first-year Ashwin Bhavnani, CIT first-year Hemant Bothra, and Zoob sang the country hit, “Take it Easy.” Each was very skillfully performed. Finally, a group called “Unity” performed an African dance number to close out the show.

The show was a tremendous success, thanks to the skill of the performers and the energy of the OC’s and the rest of the crowd. All in all, if this talent show is indicative of the effect the class of 2010 is going to have on Carnegie Mellon, it’s going to be a great four years.

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