In the late 1980s the group introduced vocal percussion into their music and it has remained a key part of the signature YellowJacket sound to this day.

The uniform changed in the 1980s due to ever evolving fashion trends, returning to a blue tie, and then bringing back the ever-popular YellowJackets for good.

While on NBC's "The Sing-Off", group members sported outfits professionally created by Kara Saun, the show's Costume Designer.

The group wore a different outfit for each of their 7 performances,[7] including original costumes from the movie Starship Troopers[8] for the Halloween Episode opening number.

While en route to LA, the group met fellow contestants Afro-Blue[13] in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and made the connection that they were soon going to be appearing on the same television show.

The YellowJackets travelled to Kenya to exchange American and Kenyan music and culture, as well as to film an upcoming documentary entitled "United We Sing",[16] directed and edited by Rochester filmmaker Dan Petracca and produced by YellowJackets Aaron Sperber (Class of 2011) and Ross Pedersen (Class of 2013), that details the power of music in life and in education.

Additionally while in Kenya, the group recorded part of the entirely a cappella soundtrack, produced by Layne Stein of Rayne's Room Studio, for the documentary, which features The YellowJackets and several Mbaka Oromo students.

Through donations from fans, supporters, and group members, The YellowJackets were able to raise enough money to send the choir back to the national competition in 2011, where they won the top prize.

Using "United We Sing", benefit concerts put on by the group, and an ongoing fundraising campaign through their website, The YellowJackets are working to raise funds to support the choir for the years to come.

The concerts received considerable coverage from local media entities, specifically NBC 10,[20] 13 WHAM ABC,[21] The Democrat and Chronicle, Legends 102.7, WARM 101.3, and the University of Rochester's Office of Communications.

Upon returning home from "The Sing-Off", The YellowJackets were contacted by Maio who asked the group to come and spend a little bit of time working with her students.

The presentation takes place at the Boars Head Dinner held in Douglass Dining Center on the University of Rochester's River Campus.

[36] The YellowJackets were nominated for and presented with the honor by the previous year's recipient, The Campus Times, the University's student newspaper organization.