New talents showcased at UMKC

Talent was on display last Monday night in Pierson Auditorium for the Activity and Program Council's (APC) 14th Annual Talent Show.

The emcee for the night was Lynn Koplitz, a New York-based comedian who has been featured on Comedy Central. Koplitz also co-stars with Joan Rivers in an Independent Film Channel (IFC) show called "Z Rock," and tours colleges around the country to do stand-up and host a variety of events.

The crowd of more than 200 people heckled her a lot at the beginning, but Koplitz dealt with it professionally in a good-natured way that made the audience laugh and like her more.

"Are you drunk?" an audience member asked.

"No I'm on crack!" Koplitz yelled. "Come on up here, you little bastard. Chatty Cathy come on up!"

As the man began his walk of shame up to the stage, she assured him she was kidding.

She told a few jokes to warm up the crowd, and the local talent portion of the show started after fifteen minutes of stand-up.

There were ten acts that included ballroom dancing, singing, rapping, acting and stand-up.

There were some really talented singers, including a group called Soul 69 and Cheese.

Though the name may be slightly misleading, they produce a good sound. The group performed an original song that the audience responded to with applause and cheers.

Another great performance was given by a professional group called FAM who has an album coming out next year.

The winner of the talent show ended up being Kinesha Moore, senior, majoring in Communications Studies with a Black Studies minor. She recited a poem she wrote about a black person's journey in the United States over hundreds of years.

The poem was touching and from the heart. When it was announced she won, the crowd went wild.

"I am really shocked because I didn't think I was going to win," Moore said. "I was so scared I almost didn't enter. I've never done anything like this in front of anyone before. I did it to spread the word. I feel like we need to talk about things like this because we just tip-toe around racial issues. We need to get some stuff resolved."

Her prize was a $400 gift card to the Country Club Plaza.

Audience member Jazmine Douglas said she enjoyed the talent show.

"It's great for student involvement," she said. "It was a great time, never a dull moment."

tsheffield@unews.com