Sarah Sollinger, Staff Writer–
Denison students from every grade, quad, and social group crammed into the Bandersnatch to watch three campus a capella groups perform in their Leap Day Concert. Students enjoyed a mix of acapella singing and bagels, with a side of green-frog leap day theme.
Ladies Night Out (LNO), Denison’s sole all-female a capella group, got the evening started. They kicked the night off with a rendition of “I Say a Little Prayer” by Aretha Franklin. After a short yo-yo intermission, they were followed by DUwop, the coed a capella group. Staying on theme, all members were sporting a frog-aesthetic accompanied by stuffed versions of the characters Frog and Toad. Finally, the Hilltoppers closed out the night with a mix of singing and comedy bits.
“The energy is aca-mazing,” said Katie Houpt ‘26, who attended the concert Feb. 29.
The “aca-mazing” energy was created by a perfect storm of impeccable pitch and Bandersnatch employees calling out profane order names. As students put in their orders for bagels and snacks to accompany the singing, they picked a card from the Cards Against Humanity deck and waited to hear their same card be shouted from the order counter to let them know it was ready.
Max McQuistion ‘25 performed “Work Song” by Hozier while accompanied by the 10 other group members and shoutouts from the Bandersnatch employees ranging from “disappointing birthday party,” to “racism and inequality.”
Max Dolinh / The Denisonian
Each a capella group got into the leap day spirit in their own way. DUwop recreated a famous movie scene. As they began their cover of “Hakuna Matata,” DUwop members raised their Frog and Toad stuffed animals above their heads, imitating the iconic scene from the Disney movie Lion King.
LNO added a new song to their repetoire with “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac, sung by Kate Ely ‘25.
“I am so proud of Kate’s performance. It’s not easy to learn a new solo soon before a performance, but she crushed it,” said sophomore Katie Corner, a member of LNO.
The Hilltoppers added a competitive element to the evening. When introducing the group, Emmet Anderson ‘25 boasted about the a capella ensemble’s fanbase. Claiming that the Hilltoppers are “Denison’s most followed acapella group on Instagram.” With 720 followers, as of the concert, compared to LNO’s 708 and DUwop’s 685, Anderson’s claim regarding Instagram followers was true. The night of music, frogs, and a little friendly competition was a memorable one. Too bad Denison students will have to wait four more years for the next one.