R Factor 2025 crescendos to a close

By Sofia Santiago and Jasmine White

NOT one empty seat could be found in the Yvonne Theater on Sept. 14. Under ‘The R Factor’ wall projections, the line that was buzzing with excitement poured in from both entrances. 

The packed theater quieted down as electronic disco music started playing from two TVs on each side of the stage, signaling the start to a night full of musical and emotional dynamics.

After introductory videos recapped the previous week’s open auditions, hosts Owen McCarron, senior radio and podcasting major, and Evan Schwantes, senior data analytics and finance major welcomed the audience and introduced the judges.

Justin Guarini, recording artist, previous American Idol contestant, and actor who played Lil’ Sweet in the Diet Dr. Pepper commercials; Brad Fischetti, of the band LFO; Dani Knights, former X Factor finalist; and Nick Barbati, vice president for student affairs and creator of R Factor returned to the judges’ seats for the finale.

The night was divided into two sections: first, all eight contestants performed and received judge feedback. Then, the audience voted on who they wanted to advance to the second part, “The Final Showdown,” where only three acts could move on. Two performers would be selected by the audience, and the third by the judges.

First to perform was Edward Ott, freshman biochemistry and business administration major, on Team Justin, who performed “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John as a dedication to his mother. Guarini praised Ott for his positive energy and “that classic smile” adorned on his face.

Team Brad’s junior musical theater major Alexis Archer’s performed “Bang Bang,” by Cher, delivering a striking contrast to Ott’s performance. The panel watched in awe as Archer captivated the audience, and her Zeta Tau Alpha sisters cheered along with the roaring crowd.

Following Archer, senior music production and arts management major, Koryna Jn-Louis on team Dani sang “Listen” by Beyoncé. Barbati called her performance “spectacular,” marking the first act where the crowd waved their phone flashlights for a performer. 

Jn-Louis described how the supportive atmosphere, from the crowd and from the other performers was one of the highlights of the show. She said, “I really liked the community. I know we’re all competing against each other, but it didn’t feel like that. We were hyping each other up so much backstage, we were all taking pictures and laughing and singing. It was a great time.”

Sophomore Jacob Ebert on Team Nick, musical theater major, sang “Fever,” by Peggy Lee, a jazzy and suave number. Fischetti said that Ebert’s “confidence was the strongest point of [the] performance.” 

Ebert shared his appreciation for the judges’ feedback, saying “Confidence has always been one of those things that I struggle with. They said you can’t fake confidence, but I would argue differently.” 

Despite feeling introverted, sophomore music education major Casey Decker from Team Brad brought the fire, and sang “Mama Knows Best” by Jessie J. Following that feature, sophomore musical theater major Finn Alexander came out strong with his rendition of “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims.

To round out the last two performances of the first round was the trio from Team Justin: sophomore music major Connor Bowden, sophomore music education major Aaron Lynch and sophomore musical theater major Matt Angelaccio. They sang “This Boy” by The Beatles, with Lynch accompanying their singing with live guitar notes. As the only act with multiple voices singing, they had the extra challenge of coordinating their volumes and harmonizing with each other. Knights described the trio’s harmonies as  “transporting her elsewhere.”

Olivia Conti, sophomore musical theater major, on Team Nick, performed last singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” by Barbara Streisand. Conti received a standing ovation for her ability to sing “one of the most difficult [broadway] songs,” according to Guarini.

The first round was over and the decision on who would advance to the second round was left to the audience’s votes. This year, Barbati explained to the crowd that there would be a different way to vote. In place of the typical text-to-vote format they have done in past years, a QR code was placed on the screens for the audience to scan and fill out a Google form. This caused issues among audience members, however, as certain people were not able to access the form to vote. 

When the votes were eventually counted up, Conti and Decker were chosen by the popular vote, and the trio was chosen by the judges.

Decker, up first for the second half, gave a forte and upbeat performance of “Rolling in the Deep,” by Adele, followed by the trio with a wistful, piano and original three-part composition of “The Sound of Silence,” by Disturbed. Lastly, Conti performed a Disney fan favorite, “Let it Go,” by Idina Menzel.

The poll opened for the second round of voting, with Decker, Conti and the trio standing in the center of the stage as the hosts announced the winner of R Factor 2025.

After the crowd frantically casted their vote, Emily Kaufman, senior musical theater major and previous champion of R Factor in spring 2025, performed “Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey. 

Confetti graced the stage when Conti was dubbed the winner of R Factor 2025. Decker and the trio cheered her on while everyone in the theater celebrated. She solidified “Team Nick’s” second-consecutive win. Conti was handed the R Factor award, smiling from ear to ear for her pictures with the judges, friends and family.

“Everyone is honestly so, so talented,” Conti said in a post-show interview with The Rider News. “I feel really humbled and honored to be a part of that and I’m just really happy to be here.”