America's North Shore Journal

Capt. Connie Quinlan, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, belts out “Because the Night” by Patti Smith during the finals of Kalsu Idol on April 2. Quinlan, who impressed the judges with her consistency, ended up winning the competition.

After six weeks of eliminations, the title of “Kalsu Idol” was bestowed on Capt. Connie Quinlan on April 2 at the Forward Operating Base Kalsu dining facility.

The night began with the final four – Quinlan, Pfc. Jessica Faamu, Staff Sgt. Donnell Raby and Capt. Christee Cuttino – waiting to see who would be eliminated before the show, based on their March 30 performance. Raby was cut, leaving the three women to compete for top honors.

Although all three were guaranteed a prize, the placement counted on one final performance.

Each competitor sang a song of her choice in an attempt to win the top spot.

“I chose what I thought I could sing well,” said Quinlan, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

Her choice, “Because the Night” by Patti Smith, was a winning one, said Master Sgt. Q.P. Bean, 4th BCT communications noncommissioned officer in charge and one of the three contest judges. Bean, a native of Ozark, Ala., said Quinlan’s consistency in song selection and ability to deliver were what influenced him to choose her for first place.

Fellow judge 1st Sgt. Richard Henson, HHC, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., from Memphis, Tenn., added that Quinlan exhibited great energy and charisma in engaging the crowd.

The ability to draw in the crowd was a big factor in each competitor’s success; audience voting counted equally with the judges’ votes.

After all the ballots were cast, Quinlan emerged on top, followed by Faamu, Company B, 26th BSB, 2nd BCT, and Cuttino, HHC, 703rd BSB, respectively.

Even after the contest was officially over, the trio continued to entertain the fans, drawing a loud laugh as they exchanged their prizes amongst themselves.

“I already have (an iPod) Nano and a digital camera,” Quinlan said, adding they switched prizes. “Capt. Cuttino worked it all out.”

In the end, Quinlan, who won 1st place, ended up with 3rd place Cuttino’s prize, a Nintendo DS. Cuttino ended up with 2nd place Faamu’s prize, a Samsung digital camera, and Faamu walked away with the top prize, an iPod Nano. The trio said they all walked away with what they wanted.

Quinlan, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., said she left with something more than a prize.

Quinlan said she used to be too scared to enter talent shows or competitions, relying on the privacy of her car or shower to sing. By entering the contest, Quinlan said, she finally faced her fears, much to the delight of the audience she entertained for weeks. “I figured if you can’t face your fears here, where can you?”

DVIDS
By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division