Show choir competitions are the highlight of the season for most performers. South Titan Classic, also known as STC, is the show choir competition put on by Papio South. This year the competition had a whopping 15 high school and 14 middle school show choir groups performing Feb. 2-3.
5:30AM-6AM – Titan directors, volunteers, and students begin to arrive at the building
There are a large handful of student and parent volunteers who make the event possible. The PLS show choir students volunteer to work shifts throughout the two days. Jobs vary from hosting guest schools, working in the cafeteria, choir/student check-in, parking, backstage, critique room, warmup room and office runners. Parents can volunteer at the same places, as well as first aid and candy bouquet/flower selling.
6:30AM – Schools and their groups begin to show up
Between fans, performers and directors, there were 4,000 people in the building over the weekend. Titan students were responsible for taking care of the groups from other schools and ensuring they made it to their warmups on time. Senior Jack Goecke, a first-year show choir member in Titanium, experienced his first year being a part of STC behind the scenes hosting the competition. He said, “I got to meet more people than I thought I would. I room hosted Marian [high school] which is where my cousin goes… Knowing someone in their group helped me connect with others.”
Students are the key component of the event. Papio South has three different show choir groups that anyone at South can be a part of. Titan Express is the prep group and the only one freshmen can be a part of. Radiance is the sophomore through senior varsity girls group. Titanium is the sophomore through senior varsity coed group. There is also a show band called Platinum that backs each of the three groups, with musicians ranging from freshmen through seniors.
2PM Seam Team moms attend to costumes for Radiance and Titanium members
Another member of Titanium, senior Andrew Hettinger has a unique perspective on the behind the scenes of show choir. His mother, Theresa Hettinger, runs the Seam Team, a group of moms related to students in any of the three show choirs who assist with costume changes, alterations to costumes, and any other mending or fixing of costumes. Hettinger said, “The perks of having a Seam Team mom is how much they care about everyone in every group, and how much they work and do things for us just because they care. … They’re all so awesome.”
4:40PM – Radiance performs before prelimary awards
Michaela Ellard is a sophomore who plays drums for Platinum, the backup band for all three Papio South show choirs. This was her first year as the drummer and also her first time attending South Titan Classic. “Performing during STC was exciting, because we were in our own school doing what we love to do.… When [the show choir students] shouted the Platinum chant, it was an overwhelming feeling knowing everyone supports us as a part of the show choir family,” Ellard said. The Platinum chant is done by show choir members off stage or in the audience, and it goes “Platinum, number one, Platinum, number one, PLATINUM, PLATINUM.”
10PM: Titanium performs before final awards
Titanium traditionally performs their show at the end of the night before final awards start. Victoria Murnan is a Titanium senior who has been in show choir since her freshman year and has been a part of STC for the past three years. With this being her last South Titan Classic, she said, “As I exchanged hugs with someone who I had been in the same group as since 8th grade, I just remembered year after year hugging all those seniors as it was their last performance. It was our turn – we are those seniors…. I am so lucky to have been a part of a program where we can make dreams come true.”
11PM: Titan volunteers clean up the messes of the day
STC is the biggest event of the year for the show choir program. The competition requires all hands on deck, and makes for a very hectic weekend in the halls of Papio South. Senior Katie Nyguen, who has been a captain of Titanium for two years, offered a few tips for making the most of a weekend at STC. “My advice to the new members of Titanium and our show choir program in general is simply make the most of their time in it. Our program and everything about it is such a huge privilege to have…. There are so many schools that look up to us, and vice versa; so be bright and ready to help at STC.”
Sunday: Recover from the show choir hangover
The recovery from the chaos of the weekend is just as important as the preparation of the event. Most people who attended STC will “sleep all day Sunday after walking 43 miles in the building in two days,” Johnson predicted.
