Imagine singing one of the most difficult and prestigious songs ever composed in front of thousands of people who expect a flawless performance. Now wipe the sweat from your brow and enter the world of Shawn Vondran. Vondran is one of six music education majors at Ohio State who split the duties of singing the “Star-Spangled Banner” before the men’s and women’s basketball games at St. John Arena.Vondran, a junior at OSU, is a member of the Men’s Glee Club and the OSU Marching Band and is used to performing in front of large crowds. He enjoys “the thrill of singing in front of his peers” and does not take the song lightly.”Any time you get to sing the national anthem, that’s a high honor,” Vondran said. “You know that it’s important to a lot of people.”Ryan Kuharich, a third-year student from Youngstown, feels a good “Star-Spangled Banner” performance is “essential to every sporting event and should not be overlooked.” “I really have a greater appreciation for the anthem ever since Whitney Houston sang before the Super Bowl a few years back during Desert Storm,” Kuharich said. “It filled me with pride then and it still does every time I hear it. It just wouldn’t be a game if the anthem wasn’t performed.”Some people question the necessity of the song at sporting events and feel the meaning is lost on those who see it only as the start of the game, Kuharich said. People who talk or won’t take off their hats during the anthem bring up common the stereotypes of no one cares anymore or people just aren’t patriotic.Vondran disagrees.”I can’t tell you how many times I have sung the song and people 20 years old to 80 will come up to me and tell me how much they enjoyed and appreciated it,” he said. “It’s the national anthem and people tend to have a deeper connection to it. It’s a powerful song. It promotes a feeling of togetherness as well as freedom.”Chris Schneider, a game management intern in the athletic department, said the song is performed out of tradition at every athletic event at OSU and it will continue for years to come.”It is expected at every game and will be performed at every game in one way or another,” Schneider said. “If it wasn’t played then we would definitely hear about it.”