Divisi, the University of Oregon’s all-female a cappella group, is headed to the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella finals at the Beacon Theater in New York City on April 30.

“We have to pinch ourselves sometimes to remind us that this is real life. Words cannot explain how excited we are,” singer Samantha Westmoreland said.

Divisi was one of 600 groups from around the globe that submitted audition videos in hopes of being selected. From the preliminary pool, 341 groups advanced. From there, Divisi placed first in both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds to earn a place in the finals with nine other collegiate groups.

Their journey was aided through a crowdfunding campaign on the new DuckFunder platform. The effort raised $9,500 to begin work on a studio album and music video.

“The money we raised through Duckfunder will provide opportunities that would not have been within our reach otherwise," Westmoreland said. "We are truly so thankful for the support we received during our Duckfunder campaign, which will undoubtedly allow us all to have a better college experience as we grow as a group and as individuals.”

Divisi is the first all-female a cappella group to make it to the finals since 2011. The group last competed at the finals in New York in 2010.

UO students can watch Divisi and two other a cappella groups, On The Rocks and Mind the Gap, perform on campus every Friday at 3:45 p.m. Performances happen in the Erb Memorial Union Fishbowl or EMU Amphitheater.

“We are beyond grateful for all of the love and support that we have been receiving from our families, our friends, and the UO community throughout this competition process,” Westmoreland said. “We are so thrilled to represent our university on an international scale!”

The group’s founder, Evynne Hollens, talks about the story of Divisi and its evolution in this video.

—By Drew Forrest, University Communications intern