Students cheered on Clay Aiken, The Blues Brothers and R. Kelly Thursday night at Emens Auditorium. Actually, they cheered their Ball State counterparts.
The nineteenth-annual Student Scholarship Talent Search gave students performances by 24 hopefuls, each vying for a scholarship.
The Ball State Alumni Center donated $4,000 for the event's scholarship winners.
Many of the performers returned for a second year.
"It definitely has improved; personal talents have improved," Kristy Davis, winner in the female-vocalist category, said.
Michael and Laura O'Hara were the night's emcees.
Singers, dancers, and instrumentalists performed in front of a a packed house. The search included prizes for six categories: dance, instrumental, female vocal, male vocal, free style and musical group.
The overall winner of the talent search was Mike Arthur, last year's male-vocalist winner.
"I was completely surprised," Arthur said. "I had no idea it was possible."
Arthur performed Clay Aiken's "This is the Night." The judges awarded him $1,500.
The Dusty Miller Band, which won $500, took the stage after intermission and performed Blues Brothers style.
The group won after three rehearsals, group member Dusty Miller said.
"We rocked the house," Miller said.
Taking away the rest of the night's prizes were Zach Winningham, male vocalist; Brian Lotter, Instrumental; Clayton Crosby, dance; and Gwen Lotter, freestyle.
Last year's overall winner "High Five" returned to Emens stage to perform "Sweet Home Alabama." The group also performed their renditions of old Saturday-morning cartoons such as "Ducktails" and "Inspector Gadget."
"We were excited to premier a new member and say good bye to an old one," Kirby Oelling, member of High Five, said. "We're sure we brought back some Saturday-morning memories."
The crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen occurred during the night as well. Fans cheered on their favorite king and queen candidates as some were named to the royal court.
The 2003 Homecoming king is Aaron Galvin, a member of the Botsford/Swinford Hall Council.
"I'm excited; it's amazing," Galvin said. "It's a real honor to make it this far."
Katie Wiese, a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary, won Homecoming queen. Weise said she is ready for her royal duties, which include attending the rest of the week's Homecoming events.
"I didn't really expect it," Weise said. "I'm ready for the next couple days' events."
Students can continue to participate in Homecoming at the Bed Race at 2 p.m. today at Riverside Avenue.
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