After School Specials! Win Contest, Head to White House

It’s been a whirlwind recently for The Claremont Colleges a cappella group After School Specials!

The group, which features students from each of the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges— including Mudders Annalise Schweickart ’18 and Aleina Wachtel ’16—won the Sing for Survivors Contest with its arrangement of the Oscar-nominated song “Til It Happens To You,” written by Diane Warren and Lady Gaga for The Hunting Ground, a documentary that explores sexual assault on college and university campuses. Shortly after winning the nationwide contest, the After School Specials! were invited to perform the song at the White House as part of It’s On Us, a White House Champions of Change event on April 14. They will join a group of other Americans who are doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities, including those leading the charge to stop sexual assault on college campuses.

“The group is extremely excited to have the opportunity to represent the 5-Cs at the White House, advocating for sexual assault awareness through song,” says Wachtel, a mathematics major and After School Specials! member for four years.

Upon their return to Claremont, the After School Specials! will reap the rewards of the Sing for Survivors Contest: a Skype session with Platinum selling recording artists Pentatonix as well as a video master class and discussion with eight-time Oscar nominee Warren and 16-time Grammy winner David Foster.

More on the After School Specials!