Standing ovation follows talents in annual show

By Elyse Helkenn

Among the Girls State traditions lies the talent show. Girls showed off their talents Wednesday night with everything, ranging from a hypnotist to a rapper.

Throughout the week there have been three auditions, with two held Tuesday and one held Wednesday. Girls lined up to get into their auditions and waited in the hopes of making it into the talent show. Many talents were doubled or even tripled up, causing even more of a competition to get into the talent show.

In line for auditions were Allison Weber and Mikaela Stofferahn from the city of Boston.

“It’s something to bring the Boston girls together,” Weber said.

These girls had a talent unlike the others.

“We have a trained hypnotist, named Mikaela. She has been studying it for about ten years,” said Weber.

The Boston girls appeared to be comfortable with preforming in front of hundreds of girls. They all joked about wanting to get some laughs from the crowd.

Stofferahn told her group that it was just basic psychology.  Hypnosis isn’t as common as an instrument, but it was a hit with the audience at Girls State.

As the Boston delegates finished up their talent, their peers gave them a standing ovation. Applause and cheering filled Aalf’s Auditorium to an almost deafening roar.

Among the excited delegates in the long list of auditions was Hope Dosch from Detroit. She played Amazing Grace on the viola at the general assembly Wednesday during the break.

“I started playing for the orchestra in fourth grade,” she said. “But I wasn’t any good at it. Somehow my teacher found a lot of talent in me.”

Dosch enjoys her viola and loves to play because she enjoys the feeling she gets when people see she has potential.

“Of all the things I do, the thing I am most proud of is orchestra,” she said.

Dosch said her orchestra teacher believing in her is what fueled her passion. And everyone has a passion of some sort.

Emily Smith’s is playing the guitar.

“I enjoy my talent because I can play anything I want, and I think I will continue in the future just for my own recreational purposes,” she said.

Emily seemed calm and collected as she unpacked her guitar and headed into her audition.

Unfortunately, the list of those who auditioned had to be narrowed down for the talent show.

Last minute rehearsals and changes were not uncommon Wednesday night. One of those last minute changes happened to be by Ashley Gasper.

Originally Gasper had planned to read a passage off of the Internet, but after a disruption during Wednesday morning’s flag ceremony, Gasper began to write. She presented a poem to her peers, bringing even herself to tears.

“Make sure that ‘no’ is in your vocabulary, and don’t be afraid to say it,” Gasper said.

At the last assembly of Wednesday night the talent show began. The girls selected lined up to show their peers their talents and passions, ending with a standing ovation.

(Photo: Delegates and staff gathered in Aalf’s Auditorium Wednesday night to partake in the annual talent show. Acts ranged from a skit, to a hypnotist, to an Irish dancer, to a rapper. Jordann Krouse / Sacajawea Scroll)