Dining Services puts on dinner and a show for students with ‘Miami Idol’

By Abigail Kelly, For The Miami Student

On Feb. 16 and 17 at Harris Hall and Garden Commons, students got to experience live music, karaoke and a DJ as a part of auditions for the final "Miami Idol" competition, hosted by Dining Services.

Starting about six years ago, based off "American Idol," which is also in its final season, Miami Idol was started as a way to give a special dining experience to students.

"We always try to do something new and different than what students have experienced, something different than their day-to-day dinner that you would experience," said Mark Andrea, the Housing, Dining, Recreation and Business Services (HDRBS) manager of computer systems and marketing.

According to Andrea, about 20 to 30 students audition between the two nights. The judges then narrow it down to the top 10, who will perform at the finale at Western Dining Hall on Wednesday, March 2.

Seniors Charlotte Higgins and Jessica Dusing, also known as the Sunny Side Girls, took their shot at auditioning at Gardens Commons. They started playing music together while living in Collins Hall and formed a band during their junior year. Dusing saw the ad for Miami Idol in Armstrong earlier this year, and decided they should audition.

"She kind of forced me into it," Higgins laughed. "[But] she was able to help me bring the courage to sign up."

Nerves still kicked in for Higgins and Dusing as they both auditioned separately. However, it was different from a normal audition. Instead of walking into a private room with only a panel of judges, there was a full house of students.

"It was really cool because I like the fact that there was an audience," said Higgins. "It felt more like a performance and less of an audition."

After feeling good about their auditions, the Sunny Side Girls performed one of their songs together between other contestants.

As Andrea has developed Miami Idol into a large campus event over the past five years, he's seen the impact it has had on dining and student life. With Miami Idol ending this year, he said he hopes future events can have the same impact.

"We are always looking for ways to interact with students and for students to interact with each other," Andrea said.

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Dusing said she has seen Miami Idol create memorable moments within the community.

"It creates really cool memories, and it gives people opportunities to put themselves out there and to take opportunities that they normally wouldn't," Dusing said. "Doing that makes you closer to your community."