Junior Stars on "American Idol" Amara Valerio '24 receives a golden ticket to Hollywood

By MARIAN CABALLO Sun Assistant News Editor

A viral TikTok video and powerful voice landed Amara Valerio ’24 in front of Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the “American Idol” stage, where she left with a reaffirmed passion for music and a golden ticket to Hollywood.

Valerio, an American studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences, was selected to perform "The Star Spangled Banner" at her high school graduation when she was only a junior. The event went awry when a senior forcibly took the microphone from Valerio and sang the national anthem instead. In July 2022, Valerio shared a video of the incident on TikTok, which led to over 10.1 million views and an Instagram message from an “American Idol” producer encouraging her to audition for the show.

“I posted the video mostly as a joke,” said Valerio, who occasionally shares singing videos on social media. “Singing is a huge passion of mine, so it was surreal getting asked to audition. I was equal parts shocked and excited.”

Valerio, from Yonkers, New York, used to watch “American Idol” as a child and had even auditioned for the show back in 2020. After a successful online audition for the show last summer, Valerio was flown out to Las Vegas in the fall and performed “Bust Your Windows” by Jasmine Sullivan for the celebrity judges.

Receiving a “yes” from all three judges, Valerio will soon compete against other golden-ticket recipients in the Hollywood rounds.

“Before I walked in the room, I was really, really nervous. But once I walked in, I realized that this is such an amazing opportunity, no matter what the outcome is,” Valerio said. “I get to do something I love in front of three icons. This is something I’ve dreamt about since I was a little girl, and something I’ve worked towards for such a long time.”

Valerio, who grew up listening to rhythm and blues and soul artists, said she chose to sing “Bust Your Windows” because of the song’s attitude and confidence. When the audition aired last Sunday, Valerio’s family, friends and hometown neighbors gathered to support her performance.

“My mom was going crazy,” Valerio said. “Even though I’m not [back home], everyone that lived on my block hosted a watch party at the bar from where I live.”

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The patient can then go into detox, if needed, or a stabilization period. Detox aims to remove alcohol and drugs from the body, which can be done via medically supervised withdrawal. The stabilization period prepares the patient to be discharged and varies based on the individual.

“If they’re assessed and what they want is detox, they can go upstairs and be in one of our 40 beds. We have 40 beds that are shared between detox and stabilization,” Sullivan said. “If they come in and they are sick or injured, they could actually get physical healthcare as well as medically supervised withdrawal services.”

After patients are stabilized, which would typically take three to five days according to Sullivan, they can enter a stabilization period in the center before they are ready to be discharged into another program, facility or back into the community.

“We expect [the stabilization period] to probably be mostly about two weeks, but there are stays as long as 45 days,” Sullivan said.

The addition of the open access, detox and stabilization center is critical since it offers services not yet available in Tompkins County.

“The open access, detox and stabilization center is filling a huge gap in the continuum of care here in Tompkins County.” Sullivan said.

According to Brad Walworth, communications manager at Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services, the new detox center will provide a level of care not yet available to residents.

“I've toured it and [it is] going to be an amazing program. It's been something that's so needed,” Walworth said. “Traditionally, unfortunately, in Tompkins County, people that need those services would have to go out of [the] county.”

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By ISABELA WILSON Sun Staff Writer

After more than a decade since they last qualified, the Cornell University Figure Skating Club plans to jump, spin and spiral at the upcoming 2023 National Intercollegiate Final. The team expressed growing enthusiasm as they are coming out of a pandemic-induced slump in membership.

Hosted by the United States Figure Skating Association, the National Intercollegiate Final is an annual competition featuring the country’s top undergraduate figure skating teams. It will take place from April 14 to April 16 at the University of California in Los Angeles.

Cornell’s team won the NIF during their first visit in 2003. They qualified again in 2008, where they placed fifth overall. The 2022-2023 season is the team’s first qualification in fifteen years.

stantial expansion. Following restrictions on ice time during the COVID-19 pandemic, the club saw a resurgence in membership as the University reopened to normal operations.

Some members attribute this growth to the CUFSC’s recent competitive success.