I came to Marquette not knowing what kind of people I’d meet or who would share similar interests with me. My decision to become a Golden Eagle was made extremely close to the May 1 deadline, and by that point, I was more interested in learning about the academic programs than extra-curriculars. In the back of my mind, I knew there had to be at least one person on campus who enjoyed music and the arts as much as I did. I just didn’t know where to look.

Luckily, I didn’t have to look too hard. On the first day of orientation, my unpacking was interrupted by a herd of honors freshmen who decided to roam the halls and introduce themselves to everyone on my floor. I immediately tagged along to learn more about my new friends. Nursing majors, theater majors, political science majors: I talked to as many people as I could. Some of us became instant friends, if the definition of friendship is specified as singing show tunes in an elevator. Others took some warming up to. Nevertheless, I had found my niche.

Last Tuesday, I decided to see if there were more people who were interested in the arts. The flyers about the MU Showcase were pretty vague, but I knew at least the Gold ‘n Blues would be performing. When I got there, I was surprised at how many creative outlets there are on campus.

The thought of a Marquette dance club hadn’t even crossed my mind, but two groups, Hype and Pure Dance, gave great dance performances. Hype specializes in hip-hop dancing, while Pure Dance focuses on lyrical and modern dances. The comedy group Studio 13 Refugees played wildly entertaining improv games with the audience.

The highlights of the night came from the two a cappella groups, the Naturals and the Gold ‘n Blues. The Naturals, an all-male a cappella group, took everyone by surprise when it started singing the Disney classic “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from “Mulan,” an instant crowd favorite. The Gold ‘n Blues saved the best for last, closing out the night with Lady Gaga’s “You and I” and a bunch of confetti.

I can’t wait to see these groups perform around campus throughout the year. They’re definitely gems in the MU community.