Anne Heise (A’12) wouldn’t call herself a singer. Although she sang in high school, she chose to study acting at Carnegie Mellon rather than musical theater because, she admits laughingly, she “can’t dance a step.” Until recently, most of her classmates had never heard her sing. That changed, though, after she entered the Campus Superstar competition, an annual singing contest for Pittsburgh-area college students that’s sponsored by the Edward and Rose Berman Hillel Jewish University Center.
At stake is a $5,000 first-place prize, and Heise is among the 10 finalists, along with four other Carnegie Mellon students—a ratio that’s become the norm at the competition. In fact, since the contest’s second year in 2008, at least half of the top 10 finalists, whittled down from hundreds of contestants, have been Carnegie Mellon students, a feat made more impressive given the demographics of the student population in the Pittsburgh region; Carnegie Mellon isn’t the only local university where students can sing in tune.
“The strength of the music programs at all of the local universities make the competition tough and very exciting,” says Beverly Brinn, the Hillel’s director of development. “Although,” she adds, “winning aside, it’s just so much fun for everyone involved—the contestants, the judges, and the audience.”
This is the first year that Brinn is in charge of the competition, which is Hillel’s biggest fundraiser. Proceeds from admission fees support the Hillel’s mission of providing engagement and enrichment opportunities for Jewish students looking to stay connected to their heritage. But perhaps most importantly, Brinn says, the Hillel provides students a home away from home, offering everything from Shabbat Friday-night dinners to Passover Seders in the spring to more casual get-togethers, such as bagels in the park and movie nights.
As Heise readies herself to sing on the night of the competition, she focuses on applying her School of Drama training. She will perform “I Who Have Nothing,” a song made popular by Shirley Bassey, which Heise used to belt out alone in her car. Tonight, she is definitely not alone. She has a packed audience in front of her and a legacy behind her; four of the five previous winners of Campus Superstar are also Tartans.
Heise sings her smoldering, heart-breaking song in hopes of continuing the tradition. By audience vote, she’s going to have to rethink not calling herself a singer—she comes in first place.
—Shannon Deep (CMU’10, HNZ’11)
