What would you like to see at the talent show?

“Are they gonna have magic tricks?” said Dr. Dan Olinger, chair of the Division of Bible. “Good juggling is always nice.”

Seniors on Stage, the first student event of its kind, will take place Saturday at 7 p.m. in Stratton Hall. Olinger, one of the event’s judges, is just one of many people on campus who wonder what to expect of the show.

He said he will have to get a sense of how to judge the talents as the competition progresses and as he sees just what students have to offer.

Dr. Stephen Jones and Miss Jane Smith, a professor in the School of Education, will also be judging the contestants.

Olinger wants to see something other than what can be found in a fine arts competition. “Creativity is part of the image of God,” he said. “The first thing we learn about God is that he is a creator.”

But while Olinger would like to see a talent that is completely out-of-the-box, it would still require some skill and practice to truly impress him.

“My inclination is to give out awards that actually mean something,” Olinger said. “Somebody gets to go to Disney World. He ought to have brought the ‘stuff’ to earn the trip.”

As for his own secret talent, Olinger said he throws a football left-handed and a baseball right-handed.

The concept for Seniors on Stage was developed last summer by Abbi Gregory and Andrew Buhr, the men’s and women’s senior class representatives, as a way to reach students from all corners of campus and to include those who usually aren’t out in the limelight.

Besides highlighting the talents people have, Seniors on Stage is all about having a good time.

And performance night will definitely be fun. Not only will the audience get to experience Olinger’s matter-of-fact sense of humor and Smith’s pizzazz, but they will also experience casual, fun interaction with Dr. Jones.

Students began submitting talents online over a month ago. Last week, judges filtered 41 talents to find the 10 talents to be displayed in the final show.

Gregory said Seniors on Stage promises lots of audience interaction and a final vote conducted through a text-in service.

The audience will get to pick the winner from among the top three contestants in the show.

Why did Gregory and Buhr pick this particular grand prize? “Why not?” Gregory said. “You never get too old for Disney World.”

Seniors on Stage is a ticketed event. We apologize that it is already sold out.