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Emily Dvareckas

Justin Stone played the guitar during the Roger's Miracle Network Talent Show.

Roger Williams University students sang, played instruments and danced the night away to raise money for Roger’s Miracle Network, a program collecting money for children at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. Hosted by the Inter-Residence Hall Association (IRHA) and WQRI, Roger’s Miracle Network achieved its $1,000 goal after two weeks of fundraising, which ended with this past weekend’s 11-act talent showcase.

While the performances took place on stage in the Field House, the two organizations held an in-person watch party in Global Heritage Hall (GHH) where attendees munched on candy and watched the event through a classroom’s projector. Students also accessed the showcase from the comfort of their rooms via Zoom. Parents even popped in to watch their children. With appearances from student guitarists, pianists, singers, dancers and a poet, the talent showcase was a true crowd pleaser.

“I loved it. They were very talented. Shout out to Korbin Johnson and Elsa Scholemer,” said Fiona Dolan, a first-year student who attended the GHH watch party.

IRHA and WQRI members were unsure of how the event would turn out given pandemic restrictions, but with more than 30 thirty viewers from the watch party and Zoom, the event planners and performers were excited by the turnout.

“I felt like, for this format, the event went extremely well — especially with the amount of time we had,” said Nikki Czarnowski, IRHA President and dance performer.

Czarnowski danced to High School Musical’s “Breaking Free” with her roommate Gwen Kinder, a junior who danced in the show and helped coordinate the event.

“We’re really happy with how it turned out since we weren’t sure how it was going to go with COVID. Not only did we reach our goal, but everyone who participated had a fun time,” Kinder said.

From lip syncing the “Goofy Goober Rock Song” to hearing an original song titled “A Letter to Let You Go” written and performed by Elsa Schloemer, the night was filled with students who owned the stage. Individuals brought their classical piano skills while others captivated the audience with their acoustic renditions of songs. Friends and family also supported performers by commenting in Zoom’s chat bar.

After an hour of performances, the talent showcase came to a close with the news that Roger’s Miracle Network achieved its $1,000 goal. With a successful end to the event, IRHA looks forward to preparing for next year’s Roger’s Miracle Network.