Cindy Vallejo
Staff Writer
Four finalists performed for Mu Phi Epsilon’s second annual La Verne Idol with Aleah Stephens taking the title.
Stephens, Ashley Broussard, Juana Munoz and Melissa Molinaro were the finalists who amazed the audience Tuesday night in Morgan Auditorium.
Stephens was awarded a $100 gift card, trophy and her name on the La Verne Idol winner plaque.
Adriana Navarro hosted the event and introduced show with a duet performance by last year’s La Verne Idol winner, Mason Sustayta, and his brother Matt Sustayta.
The first performer was Broussard who sang “Emily (It’s Love).”
“I really enjoy singing and it is a stress-reliever for me,” said Broussard, a psychology major.
She started off a bit shaky from nerves, but pulled it together and performed wonderfully.
The second contestant was Molinaro, who sang “Halo.”
“It has been a fun and exciting journey, and I am excited to see what happens later tonight,” said Molinaro, a liberal studies major.
The judges said Molinaro started off a bit low but then turned it up a notch by performing the song with her own style.
The third contestant was Stephens who sang “The Writer.”
Stephens wowed the judges with her style and her voice capabilities, even though she forgot a couple of words in the song.
The fourth contestant was Munoz, a communications major, who sang “Unbreak My Heart.”
Munoz said she did not realize her own potential until her two best friends encouraged her to audition for La Verne Idol.
After the first set of performances, the finalists returned to the stage to sing their signature song for the audience.
The signature songs amped up the competition, making it harder for the audience to vote on a winner.
“It was better than I expected,” said Jose Serra, freshman communications major. “I didn’t know that ULV had so much amazing talent.”
After the performance the audience texted their choice for La Verne Idol to vote for a winner.
“It was a fabulous night with four young, unique ladies, but Aleah was fantastic and I applaud her on her voice and style,” said James Calhoun, assistant professor of music and one of the event’s judges.
Cindy Vallejo can be reached at cindy.vallejo@laverne.edu.
