October 8, 2010
Surprise announcement stuns singers at Tomorrow’s Workforce luncheon
Sarah Stolz and Alexandra Orth sing for a photographer in the gym at Mater Dei High School in Evansville. (Message photo courtesy Sarah Wagner) Click for a larger version.
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
Alex wasn’t nervous about singing the National Anthem at the Tomorrow’s WorkForce luncheon. Sarah was “terrified.”
“I get nervous singing in front of people; I’ve never really done it that much,” said Sarah in a phone interview almost a week after the luncheon and the really surprising announcement that came in the middle of the keynote speech.
Were you surprised? “Absolutely! I didn’t believe him. I thought he was joking,” said Alex, remembering when Bill Polian, president of the Indianapolis Colts, praised the two singers and told a staff member to get their names so they could come and sing at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“I got really embarrassed, my face turned really red,” said Sarah. “I thought he was just joking.”
Apparently Polian was not joking, although neither of the girls has yet heard anything definite about when it might happen.
The two singers are Alexandra “Alex” Orth, a junior, and Sarah Stolz, a senior. They first sang together this year for the inauguration of the Mater Dei student council, and worked with the choir director and a teacher Alex Smith and Justin Carter. Smith arranged their a capella rendition, which the practiced several times before the luncheon. (Related story: 2010 Leadership Awards Recipients introduced at luncheon)
Neither of them has been to Lucas Oil Stadium. Sarah admits she doesn’t know much about football. Alex described herself and her whole family as “huge football fans.”
The announcement sent a wave of amazement through the crowd, and the friends of the two girls were quick to congratulate them.
“They freaked out and then they asked when they were getting their tickets,” said Alex. “Pretty much everybody said that.”
“They were really happy for me,” said Sarah, “and a bunch of people told me that I had to bring them.”
After the Wednesday mid-day luncheon, the student participants went back to their schools. Surprise quickly spread beyond the school students and staff, as Alex made a phone call home as soon as possible.
“As soon as I got [back] to school, I called my parents from the parking lot,” said Alex. “My mom freaked out, saying ‘Oh my gosh!’ and my dad was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool.’”
Alex is the daughter of Andrea and Ron Orth of Evansville. Sarah is the daughter of Terry and Joseph Stoltz of Mount Vernon.
Sarah said her mom was really excited, and her boss, Christie Disney at Lic’s Deli and Ice Cream, was really happy for her when she heard the news, “she’s a real Colts fan.”
Singing for Sarah after completion of high school is “probably not for me,” but Alex might be considering vocal music in the future. “It all just depends on how things go,” she said. “It is not a main priority, but if it happens, it happens.”
Right now, the students — and their ticket-hopeful friends and family members — are waiting to see what will happen and when it will happen at Lucas Oil Stadium. They expect to hear from the school’s executive director, Tad Dickel, who has been in contact with the Colts’ organization.