Soul’d Out crowd

If you happened to be part of the sold-out crowd at Fifth Third Field on June 24, you witnessed a powerful rendition of “God Bless America” during the Dayton Dragons baseball game.

Wright State theatre studies majors November Jones, Christopher Layton and Nasir Peterson formed the singing group Soul’d Out this spring and had an opportunity that most groups only dream about.

“That was the first time that we’ve done something so big, it was actually our first performance,” said Jones.

After hearing the group practice in a stairwell in the Creative Art Center, Stuart McDowell, artistic director of the Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures, encouraged the singers to contact the Dayton Dragons about performing at a game. The team liked what they heard and booked Soul’d Out to perform during the seventh-inning stretch.

“Wright State has that ability to touch students in the heart and give them the first time that they get out and spread their wings and fly,” said McDowell.

“I have faith that we’re going to make it,” said Jones.

Wright State became an independent institution in 1967 and spent the next 50 years growing into an innovative leader in student success. In 2017, it celebrates its 50th anniversary as an independent public university, culminating with a special Homecoming celebration Sept. 29 through Oct. 1.