About 60 students cheered and clapped Wednesday night as the song “Listen” by Beyonce echoed in the Student Activity Center auditorium.  

The singer was Glori Das, a biomedical engineering and neuroscience freshman, who performed as one of the eight acts featured in the College of Natural Sciences’ talent show. The performances included four solo singers, two piano players, one trombone player and one duet. 

Chemistry sophomore Alice Cheung, Natural Sciences Council public relations chair, said the goal of the talent show was to help students create a sense of community within the College of Natural Sciences.  

“We got a lot of feedback from students that they didn’t feel like they had a sense of community in the College of Natural Sciences,” Cheung said. “It would be cool to have a talent show where people can sing and dance and do something that wasn’t related to science.”

Public health junior Mallika Gandhi, Natural Sciences Council internal relations chair, said she hopes the talent show would show other students that science majors can have fun, too.

“I hope that a lot of College of Natural Science students and non-major students are able to make it out and see what we are able to do outside of the classroom,” Gandhi said. “I think it’s important to showcase that.”

After the eight acts, there was a special performance by One Note Stand A Cappella, a competitive co-ed a cappella group. Then, the top four teams were selected by students in the audience and moved onto the second part of the talent show, a jeopardy round of natural science major-specific questions.

The event was free and open to all University students. The Natural Sciences Council gave away Texas Science t-shirts and gift cards from Cabo Bob’s and Moojo’s through a raffle drawing.   

The singing duet, biology sophomore Savannah Troy and Benjamin Solder, came in first place with Adele’s “Someone Like You” and won $200. Biology freshman Marcus Manverse won $100 and came in second place playing the trombone. In third place, singer Nick Birk, a biology and public health sophomore, won $50.

Mathematics junior Nita Tunga said she came out to support her friends and fellow science students. 

“I really enjoyed how everyone just came out to have a good time and to show support for our college,” Tunga said. “The performers were absolutely entertaining and tremendously entertaining.”