Twelve different acts stepped into the spotlight and showcased their abilities in front of more than 75 people Friday at the “UST’s Got Talent” show at Scooter’s.

Musicians, dancers and spoken word artists competed for the student judges’ vote to determine who would be the winner. Performers, like sophomore musician Elizabeth Bittner, said they were feeling the pressure before their performance.

“I’m pretty nervous,” Bittner said. “I haven’t been on stage in a solo or duet performance in a long time.”

The event originated from St. Thomas’ performing arts club PULSE and was run by STAR.

“We had a conversation talking about how we really don’t know that many people who are not associated with PULSE but actually have talent on campus,” junior co-organizer Albert Conteh said. “So, we’re like, ‘We should do a talent show.’”

One of the many performances that captivated the crowd was freshman Jesse Stone and Kevin Mealey’s original piano/guitar song.

“They wrote it, and it was just really, really good,” freshman Lindy Fischer said. “It’s so beautiful.”

But it was the antics of the men’s a cappella group, “Name Pending,” that won over the audience and the judges’ vote.

“I liked the boys a cappella group,” sophomore Jen Strong said. “I thought it was cute.”

Conteh hoped the event’s success would encourage more PULSE-inspired events in the near future.

“It’s just… refreshing. It’s something different than what I’m used to with the PULSE shows,” Conteh said.

Caroline Rode can be reached at rode8318@stthomas.edu.