Student Union Revives the Talent Show After Three Years

The Student Union (SU) says it will bring its popular talent show back after a three-year hiatus.

For 40 years, the SU Talent Show has been a significant tradition in the history of AUC, and it is on this stage that megastars like singers Hesham Abbas and Mahmoud El Esseily once performed.

News of the show’s return sparked immediate interest and led to a large number of applications from AUCians and students at other universities.

“There are around 120 sign-ups for the talent show from AUC students, and around 160 signups from students outside of the AUC community,” SU Talents Director Mohamed Saad told The Caravan.

The Student Union is trying to balance the ratio between AUC and non-AUC candidates, he added.

“In this year’s talent show, the SU is trying to diversify the event by including a wide variety of talent and enhancing their exposure through workshops and providing advisors for guidance,” Saad said.

The talent show’s general manager Ahmed Gadallah said that SU President Saeed Zakaria believes bringing the event back offers students opportunities to help them reach their full potential.

But the preparation for the event is not without its challenges – the organizers say they are unable to find judges for the competition.

“It is now challenging for the board to find university professors who are willing to be judges in the audition process,” said Gadallah.

This has not dampened student enthusiasm.

Gabriel Bishara, one of the pariticpants, says he is looking forward to showing off his guitar skills and crooning Frank Sinatra classics.

Youssef Haitham, student at the German University in Cairo says  he was encouraged by friends to sign up.

“I  [have done] several live performances before, and I hope that the talent show would be a platform for us to become more recognized by people,” Haitham told The Caravan.

This year’s talent show is divided into three phases, Gadallah said.

Phase one started with auditions on October 16.

The second phase will be held at Moataz Al Alfi Hall on October 30 and be open to  up to 300 students, family members, friends, and spectators who want to come and support the talents, SU Operations Director Karim Shaker said.

The final phase promises to be an extravagant affair, Shaker said.

“We are hoping to bring a [popular] performer, prominent judges, and we are planning to host a VIP lounge,” he said.

However, he emphasized that the talent show should not be thought of as a concert because of the high-caliber performer.

The VIP invitations are designed to encourage students to participate in the talent show and perform their best to reach the finale.