By Shoshanna Crompton, CIU Student Writer
The 2025 AcoustaRockaRappaPalooza, referred to simply as “Acousta,” showcased the many musical talents in the Columbia International University student body. The show offers an opportunity for students to bring a variety of talents to the stage, but this year there was an abundance of musical performances.
Some performed in pairs. Married couple Savannah and Joshua Bass dubbed “The Banditos,” performed the Twenty-One Pilots song “Paladin Strait.”
Some performed solo such as Ruth Ellen Lorick on the piano with a Star Wars medley.
There were also two dance performances. One was disco-pop by Matithe Imbolo-Yolinga and the other by Ketia Ineza to an Afro-beats Christian score.
Student Body President Joel Baumgarten created a The Muppets skit called Veterinarian’s Hospital, alongside CIU’s theater troupe members.
Jack Horchler, a 2024 alumnus, and a crowd favorite, appeared for his fifth consecutive stand-up comedy routine.
The audience was especially wowed by the full band groups, specifically Seth-n-Frenz and Uncle Rod and the Bad Selves.
Seth-n-Frenz started with a mashup of “Lady by the Sea” by Stephen Sanchez and Noah Kahan’s “Maine,” sitting in a half-circle of stools in matching, pink-accented shirts and cream pants. The crowd was driven to give the group a standing ovation and a cry for “One more song!” They delivered, with an impromptu rendition of Sh-Boom with member Landon Batterman pulling out the saxophone.
“There were some things that went wrong on my side,” Batterman said. “I was stressing a little when I started playing the saxophone, it was flat, so I started panicking but I don’t think anyone noticed, so it worked out.”
His fellow members reassured him, with his sister Tiara Batterman saying, “I personally had so much fun … we’re friends that love to do music together and it’s a gift.”
Hannah Place added, “I had so much fun today, just as much fun as I did in the actual practices, which is saying something, because it just goes to show that the people you work with really make or break it. I’m very thankful.”
Led by CIU Music Program Director Dr. Rod Lewis and consisting of music majors, the group Dr. Rod and the Bad Selves offered a rousing finale to the night, performing Jesus Freak by DC Talk.
“We’ve been working on this for about a month … I loved it, it was kind of nerve-wracking,” said Music major Nathanial Brown. I’ve never played this kind of song — this hype — on stage. But it was so much fun.”
“Rehearsal felt just like a jam session to be honest,” added Xavier Derby. “Dr. Rod kind of threw (Jesus Freak) at us one day and it all rolled together from there.”
With desserts of chocolate, pastries, lemonade and sparkling water, the students chatted in the lobby after the performance, taking pictures at a photo stand and congratulating their peers on a successful night.
Acousta hosts were students Ellie Christensen, Graham Shelton, Hadassah Davis and Jalen Cooper. Shelton especially enjoyed being a host.
“It was a vibe. People I did it with were amazing — couldn’t have done it without them,” Shelton said after the event. “Also, the performances were so good. All around, just a great night.”
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