Cedarville’s talent on display: An insight into Cedarville’s Got Talent

by Sierra Perkinson

Cedarville’s Got Talent (CGT), one of Cedarville students’ favorite events of the year, was once again a great hit in late September. With a showing that filled the Jeremiah Chapel, this year’s talent show brought acts filled with speed, music, flipping, and even some yo-yo-ing. 

One of these acts included a Cedarville favorite who returned to CGT for the third time and won overall yet again: Caleb Kitchen. Kitchen auditioned for the first time his freshman year, and he has enjoyed challenging himself each year when he performs for CGT. 

“Performing for the third time was very fun for me because I always challenge myself to make it better than the previous performance, starting freshman year with just one voice, following with a simple song with 19 voices, and upgrading to a more difficult song with 23 voices and giving myself a chance to use my own voice,” Kitchen said. 

Kitchen became a campus celebrity after performing his different voices his freshman year and winning CGT last year as well. Despite this, Kitchen does not emphasize winning or being seen as a “celebrity.” Rather, Kitchen’s goal with his act was not just to challenge himself but to bring joy and light to the audience.

“CGT to me is not about the competition. It’s about having fun, which is my main goal every year. When people around campus see me and realize that I am the guy who does voices, they ask me and smile, which brings me joy to know that someone enjoyed my performance,” Kitchen said. “I try my hardest to not be a ‘celebrity’ but more as a friend that they saw perform.”

Kitchen’s act was not the only favorite among Cedarville’s student body. Nicholas Burlarley raised much enthusiasm from the audience when he announced that he would be solving four Rubik’s Cubes in under one minute. Students waited in anticipation as they watched Burlarley solve four Rubik’s Cubes in 59.78 seconds and gave him a standing ovation. 

Additionally, Gideon Kohls, widely known as “Cedar Flips” on campus, made an appearance with a light saber show including flipping, slashing, and even the splits. Jonathan Vamos presented an impressive display of yo-yo skills. Mikey Nicht stunned the audience with a masterpiece he concocted “on the fly” with notes randomly picked by the judges from a hat. Luka Carraway touched the audience with a heartfelt, original song.

Altogether, this year’s CGT program was an entertaining show, but it required a lot of effort behind the scenes. With the help of the Student Government Association team, Cedarville’s student council began planning the event with a goal. 

“One of the biggest goals of class council and myself is that we want to create memories,” Junior Class President Michael Jana said. “Just making all the people come together, enjoy each others’ presence, laugh a little bit…because the time as a student really begins to feel quicker as they move throughout the years.”

The goal for CGT this year is an admirable one that echoes the mission behind events all across campus: bringing students together to create memories that do not simply pass by but last a lifetime. 

Sierra Perkinson is a Junior Psychology student and reporter for Cedars. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, laughing, reading, and is fascinated by the human mind.