Auditions for the second edition of West Virginia

Universitys Mountaineer Idol singing competition are set for Saturday, Sept. 17, at 3 p.m. in the Mountainlair Shenandoah Room.

The WVU spinoff of the popular TV seriesAmerican Idolattracted dozens of talented students last year. For the upcoming competition, sponsor Coca-Cola has donated $2,000 in prize money for the top three finishers.

To enter, WVU students should call 304-293-2702 by TUESDAY , SEPT. 13.

The competition schedule is as follows:

  • Saturday, Sept. 17Preliminary competition (closed to the public), 3 p.m., Mountainlair Shenandoah Room
  • Saturday, Sept. 24 (Fall Family Weekend)First elimination round, 8:30 p.m.,Lair commons area
  • Friday, Sept. 30Second elimination round, 8:30 p.m.,Lair commons area
  • Friday, Oct. 14Third elimination round, 8:30 p.m.,Lair commons area
  • Friday, Oct. 21Fourth elimination round, 8:30 p.m.,Lair commons area
  • Sunday, Oct. 30 (Official kickoff to Mountaineer Week)Final competition, 3 p.m.,Lair Ballrooms

During the preliminary competition, contestants will be required to sing 30 seconds of a song of their choice a cappella. A small panel of local celebrity judges will evaluate each performer on singing ability, overall performance and how well he or she adapts to each genre of music.

The field will be narrowed to 10 singers, and results will be revealed on the MIX (Mountaineer Information Xpress) Monday, Sept. 19, with the finalists going on to compete in elimination rounds with designated themes such as pop and country.

The two students with the lowest scores at the end of each round will be eliminated. Mountaineer Idol culminates when the final two contestants go head-to-head in a finale Sunday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m.also the official kickoff of Mountaineer Week 2005 activities at WVU .

We were so overwhelmingly happy with the caliber of contestants for last years event,said Sonja Wilson, Mountaineer Week coordinator.For this years event, we expect a bigger turnout not only in the contestants vying for the title, but also larger crowds at the competition.

New this year: The competition is being held during Fall Family Weekend in addition to Mountaineer Week, she noted.

We are, indeed, very honored to have our Mountaineer Idol first elimination competition in conjunction with Fall Family Weekend,Wilson said.This should afford our visiting parents the opportunity to witness the talents of our WVU students.

Before students start dreaming about becoming the next Kelly Clarkson or Reuben Studdard , there are some rules they need to know:

  • Mountaineer Idol is restricted to currently registered WVU students. Those who are interested in signing up should call 304-293-2702 by 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13. NOTE : There will be no opportunity to register the night of the preliminary competition.
  • Participants are required to sign a contract indicating that they will abide by the rules and understand that judgesdecisions are final. A set of rules will be e-mailed to each student.
  • All contestants must attend a mandatory orientation. Also, students will be required to show their Mountaineer ID card prior to the preliminary competition.

Mountaineer Idol is sponsored by Coca-Cola and organized by WVU Student Affairs in partnership with Fox 46 ( Dont missAmerican Idolreturning this January to FOX 46 ).

For additional information pertaining to auditions and rules, contact Wilson at 304-293-2702.