School of Dentistry students win first place in annual event that includes eight performances on the MSTF Leadership Hall stage.
Photo: Vanessa Vailoces and Cameron Hadeed perform the song “Still Into You.”
University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) students Vanessa Vailoces and Cameron Hadeed won first place at the 2024 “UMB’s Got Talent” show Feb. 13 for their rendition of “Still Into You” by the band Paramore. Vailoces sang and Hadeed played guitar during their turn among eight performances on stage at MSTF Leadership Hall.
Haixi Cui, a student at the University of Maryland Graduate School, took second place for his card trick performance, and Rachida Koudjra, laboratory research assistant at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s (UMSOM) Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, earned third place for the recitation of three original poems, “Trust,” “4 AM,” and “Mourning.”
The talent show, which has taken place since 2020, is organized by UMB’s Staff Senate in partnership with the Faculty Senate, University Student Government Association, and the Council for the Arts & Culture.
The other performers were:
- Naomi Cross, faculty member, University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), “Blackbird” by the Beatles with acoustic guitar
- Caitlin Hearn, staff member, UMSOM, Irish jigs “The Rose in the Heather,” “The Diplodocus,” and “Health to the Ladies,” on fiddle with guitar accompaniment by her husband, Richard Osban
- Reese Spindle and Michael Gaunt, staff members, UMB Administration and Finance (A&F), “Hopelessly Devoted to You” by Olivia Newton-John
- Dani Ciscell, staff member, UMSON, “Easy on Me” by Adele
- Kurt Espinosa, student, UMSOM, original song, “Serenity”
Outside the hall, there was a pop-up gallery featuring artwork from eight non-performing artists that was judged by the attendees. The prize winners were: Raheel Raad, student, UMSOD, first place; Latisha Brown, staff member, UMB A&F, second place; Dallin Smith, staff member, UMB A&F, third place.
Greg Brightbill, EdD, MBA, MEd, associate director of student leadership and involvement and a past president of the Staff Senate, served as emcee, showing off his piano-playing skills to open the event. Spindle and Ray Stolle, MA, a staff member at UMSON, co-chaired the committee that organized the talent show.