Members of the Boston University men’s a cappella singers The Dear Abbeys are singing up a storm in hopes of winning scholarship money for the group.
The group is competing to win $10,000 for the BU general scholarship program, along with $5,000 in ZipCar credit, from ZipCar’s Students with Drive program, members said.
Ford Motor Company, which owns ZipCar, decided to offer the credit to the winning group and money for the winner’s school, according to a Ford press release.
Student groups are divided into five categories: academics, arts, athletics, community service and student life. As of 10 p.m. Monday night, The Dear Abbeys were trailing Kidding Around, an Emerson College theater troupe, by about 30 votes. Voting closed at midnight, but results had not been posted.
Dear Abbeys President Daniel Taylor, a senior in the College of Engineering, said that he first heard about the contest two-and-a-half weeks ago, when the Media Manager Jason Kaplan, a senior in the College of Communication, brought it up to him.
Taylor said that the Dear Abbeys entered the contest by submitting an essay that explained why ZipCar is important to them.
“We use ZipCar all the time when we travel to high schools and other places that we perform at in the area,” Taylor said.
Once submitted, the winning group is expected to be chosen through a voting system set up through Ford’s ZipCar, according to the Students with Drive Facebook page.
“The $5,000 ZipCar credit would be helpful, and the $10,000 for the school would be great, too,” Taylor said.
College of Arts and Sciences freshman Shun Furusawa said that he was excited to hear about what the Dear Abbeys were trying to accomplish and that they thought it was a great thing for the group and for the school.
Some students said The Dear Abbeys’ participation in such a competition is just one example of why they are so popular on campus.
“The Dear Abbeys are one of the most liked a cappella groups on campus not simply because of their clear musical talent, but because of their ability to share their love of music through an avid stage presence,” said CAS sophomore Vidiya Sathananthan.
“Whether a musical genius or musically inexperienced, anyone who attends a Dear Abbeys performance comes out singing and appreciating music much more.”
Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences freshman Aditi Amlani said that she agreed that the a cappella groups’ participation makes them stand out.
“There are so many groups on campus, if they could put the money to good use like that, I think that it’s a really good thing,” she said.
Many students said they think The Dear Abbeys’ participation in the Students with Drive contest demonstrates the group’s commitment to the school.
“I think that their winning something like that would be incredible,” said Michael Gordon, a sophomore in CAS. “Winning the school money is always a good thing.”
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