Go ahead — ask Laura Bergren if the rigors of performing on stage get to her.

“My heart is usually beating through my body,” says Bergren, senior in English.

Although she may not be vying for a spot among the likes of Ruben Studdard or Kelly Clarkson, Cyclone Idol still lets ISU students bring out their talents like the hit television show “American Idol.”

Even better, this ‘Idol’ is far more inclusive than its national counterpart.

Everyone is welcome to give their chance at stardom a shot, as Bergren discovered after a friend mustered up the confidence last year.

“This is my first time doing this — a girl in my Bible study did it and I was really inspired,” she says.

Bergren says she finds it exciting to perform to an audience when they respond back with applause.

“I want to do this again, because now I know what it feels like,” she says.

Alex Sills, senior in electrical engineering, began singing a month prior to his entry in the competition.

“My voice isn’t remarkable, but it was fun,” he says.

Sills, who has five years of experience playing the guitar, says he thinks Cyclone Idol is a great opportunity to get experience and, more importantly, exposure.

He says he hopes to form a band and believes Cyclone Idol can get him noticed for his talents.

“This is my second time being on stage, and it feels really good,” Sills says.

Veterans of the competition are welcome to come back, and readily do so. Ashley Lorenz, senior in performing arts, made it to the finals last year.

She says practicing her music in front of a crowd is an ideal situation.

“It’s hard to get a crowd like this if you just go into a bar and perform your own songs — here you have an opportunity to test the value of the songs in front of people who care,” she says.

While Cyclone Idol has a lot in common with the TV show, don’t expect a cackling Simon Cowell impersonator, as Cyclone Idol’s format doesn’t call for post-performance opinions from the judges.

“It makes it less competition and allows people come up and perform without making it a ‘build-you-up-and-cut-you-down’ kind of thing,” says Maintenance Shop coordinator Eric Yarwood, one of the judges for this year’s show.

To further Cyclone Idol’s credibility, American Idol contestant Ryan Starr, who made it to the top seven in the show’s first season and was featured on VH1’s “The Surreal Life” reality show, is making an appearance during the finals.

“She’s going to be a judge and perform for a half hour while we’re calculating the scores,” says Cieandra Tindall, performing arts director for the Student Union Board and senior in communication studies, who has helped put on the event since last year.

Tindall says the turnout has been great this year, with people lined up at the door and seats filled to capacity.

With Starr’s visit, Tindall says she only sees big things for the rest of this year’s Cyclone Idol.

“Last year there were 800 people who came to the final, and we expect even more this year,” she says.

Cyclone Idol has come a long way since its inception three years ago, when it was run by SUB daytime programming, Tindall says.

“The first year they didn’t have a professional emcee, but now we do,” she says.