Clash of the Talents’ First Prime

By: Soumaya El Filali

The first prime of the Student Government Association's Clash of the Talents contest took place last Wednesday at 6PM on E-Lawn.

The Clash of the Talents, which showcases all kinds of talents found at AUD, was organized by the SGA along with five of AUD's clubs: JamNation, The Agency, Bhangra Vibe, Palestinian Cultural Club, and Photography club. 

“For each prime, a different club will handle the financing of the event,” the SGA's president Ange Shaya said. The Palestinian Cultural Club, which sponsored the first prime, presented both participants and the audience with cotton candy and 'knafa', both of which proved very popular.

"I know that there are lots of talents here at AUD, I love singing myself. So when I became president I thought that many people would like to show off their talents so we decided to give them a chance," explained Ange.

The first prime of the long-awaited competition had twelve participants: eight sang, two beat boxed, one played the guitar, and one performed a magic trick.

"I have been addicted to singing since I was nine years old," said 18-year-old contestant Noor Ali, who performed the song "Walk Away" by Christina Aguilera.

Muhammad Younes’ performance was one of a kind. The 21-year-old performed a magic trick he called, "Booked" that blew the minds of the judges and audience alike. The young magician’s trick involved an envelope, a copy of Arabian Nights, and a deck of cards.

The event was also filled with many surprises. After the amazing individual performances of the two beat boxers, a battle was spontaneously announced by the emcee to conclude the event. The three rounds gave a minute to each of the competitors to perform their best. The battle ended with friendly handshakes and very loud cheers from the audience.

Amir Sakar, one of the participants said, "I have been beat boxing for three years now and I respect all of my other competitors, especially those who beat boxed."

The participants were not the only students in the competition, the judges were students as well; they include the SGA’s president, Ange, Bhangra Vibe’s president, Akshay, JamNation's guitarist, Jameel, and Photography Club’s president, Saman.

The rules are as follows: although there are four judges, AUD students are the ones who determine who will move on to the next round. Students choose those who will continue in the competition by liking the photo of the participant of their choice posted on the SGA's Facebook account.

The prizes mainly consist of vouchers for the SGA bookstore and AUD's salon or barbershop, as well as trophies. Also, if the winner is a singer, he or she gets to professionally record a song of their own, which will be managed by the Egyptian club.

The SGA states that they will announce the date of the next round very soon and they expect even better performances for the next prime.