Although Midwestern contestants did not do well on "American Idol," the Indiana University Helene G. Simon Hillel Center hopes to give the state's students a chance to do better.
Campus Super Star is an annual singing competition based on the TV show "American Idol" and is for any college student enrolled in a state university, IU's Hillel Assistant Director Andy Gitelson said. With the majority of the contestants from previous years being from Indianapolis and Bloomington, Gitelson said more time has been invested this year to try to get Ball State University students involved.
"We want to try and target music schools, and Ball State has a good music program," he said. "Any student can participate, though, not just music students. The last two years we have had only a couple finalists actually majoring in music."
Tryouts will be from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday at Emmis Communications Lobby in Monument Circle in Indianapolis. A second tryout time will be from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18, at Ballantine Hall 005 in Bloomington.
Tslil Shtulsaft, senior Jewish Campus Service Core fellow at the Indianapolis Hillel Center, said auditions cost $5 and last between 30 and 45 seconds. All auditions are acapella, and by the end of the day participants will know whether they move on to the semi-final round, he said.
"The most important piece, however, is to ensure that every student who tries out has a positive experience," Shtulsaft said.
Gitelson said the competition not only finds the next College Super Star, but also gives each student the opportunity and experience of singing on a stage. Contestants will be judged on musical ability, stage presence, confidence and whether they have star quality, he said.
"This is a catalyst to bigger things," he said. "First-year contestant Stephanie Parker auditioned for Campus Super Star, won and got recording time with Kanye West."
Shtulsaft said the Hillel Center has the competition because it takes pride in focusing on diversity programs. The event is the center's annual fundraiser, he said.
"It has been an excellent way to get students involved within the IU campus and community," he said. "[It's also] a great way to foster relationships with other campuses across the state."
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