Spring Break
Another civil war where the south loses
A capella groups Outspoken, On the Rocks faced off in all-out singing battle last Friday
Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: Diversions
By Rick Crawford
Diversions
Last Friday evening I found myself wandering the campus of the University of Oregon wearing one of my orange beaver shirts.
Needless to say I was a little nervous.
But I was there for a very specific reason. Last Friday night was an annual event that is usually way under the radar.
Of course, I'm talking about the one and only A Cappella Civil War that took place at U of O's Beall Hall (pronounced Bell for some reason) between OSU's Outspoken and the Ducks' group, On The Rocks.
This event, which switches venues each year, took place for the seventh consecutive year. And it's no surprise to us who usually wins.
"After 6 years of Outspoken victory, it's going to be hard for U of O to pull off a dub (win)," said former Outspoken member Josh Seitz before the show.
"It's been a rough six years, but this year we're the underdogs and have home court (hall?) advantage," said Josh Heying, second year director of On The Rocks, responding nervously to Seitz's statement.
Heying, a fourth year On The Rocks member, went on to say he likes having this show because the audiences are fun, and it's nice to see what Outspoken has been up to.
"Having the show this early in the year really pushes the groups to excel," he said.
So is this show really a competition?
Not according to former OSU Divine member Kelsey Kleine.
"They like to pretend it's about the rivalry, but it's really about the schools coming together," she said.
Outspoken co-director Brian Crawford sums it up well. "They're actually a cool group of guys," he said.
When asked what song or soloist he'd like to mention that stands out for the year, Crawford said that Outspoken has a lot of good soloists and they are excited about the return of the songs "Brighter Than Sunshine" and "Macho Men."
But how about the show itself?
With no surprise, Beall Hall was packed before the show started at 7 p.m., and the crowd was, for lack of a better word, raucous.
Diversions
Last Friday evening I found myself wandering the campus of the University of Oregon wearing one of my orange beaver shirts.
Needless to say I was a little nervous.
But I was there for a very specific reason. Last Friday night was an annual event that is usually way under the radar.
Of course, I'm talking about the one and only A Cappella Civil War that took place at U of O's Beall Hall (pronounced Bell for some reason) between OSU's Outspoken and the Ducks' group, On The Rocks.
This event, which switches venues each year, took place for the seventh consecutive year. And it's no surprise to us who usually wins.
"After 6 years of Outspoken victory, it's going to be hard for U of O to pull off a dub (win)," said former Outspoken member Josh Seitz before the show.
"It's been a rough six years, but this year we're the underdogs and have home court (hall?) advantage," said Josh Heying, second year director of On The Rocks, responding nervously to Seitz's statement.
Heying, a fourth year On The Rocks member, went on to say he likes having this show because the audiences are fun, and it's nice to see what Outspoken has been up to.
"Having the show this early in the year really pushes the groups to excel," he said.
So is this show really a competition?
Not according to former OSU Divine member Kelsey Kleine.
"They like to pretend it's about the rivalry, but it's really about the schools coming together," she said.
Outspoken co-director Brian Crawford sums it up well. "They're actually a cool group of guys," he said.
When asked what song or soloist he'd like to mention that stands out for the year, Crawford said that Outspoken has a lot of good soloists and they are excited about the return of the songs "Brighter Than Sunshine" and "Macho Men."
But how about the show itself?
With no surprise, Beall Hall was packed before the show started at 7 p.m., and the crowd was, for lack of a better word, raucous.
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