[Editor’s Note: This article was written before the Lip Sync final. On Sat. Jan. 13, Logan House won.]
Lip Sync is leading to one of the most memorable dorm competitions on campus.
Due to its high opportunity for scoring Willympics points, Lip Sync is proving to be more competitive than Willympics’ other field events, which, along with banner making, started on October 3.
Traditionally, girls dorms tend to win Lip Sync, and the boys tend to not put forth enough effort. Due to the importance of the event, there are often decisions not everyone agrees on, causing occasional tension. This, of course, makes things more interesting.
For the past two years, girls dorm have won the event, but this year it seems different: boys dorm are giving more attention due to the rivalry between the two upperclassman boys dorms on the main quad, Ford and Mem West.
Ronan McGurn, a senior from Westfield, N.J., thinks the Lip Sync is a great way to “get everyone involved and do something dumb and fun in front of everyone.”
Ronan says that the Lip Sync brings people together in an exciting and still competitive way.
“Different floors have their own song and at the end we all join together to do a song,” he said. “I think it’s just nice that all the dorms have something to compete in in the winter that’s different from Willympics … It’s not really stressful but more a fun way to compete against everyone else in the school.”
Ronan knows that being in a boys dorm, it will be harder to get them all to focus, but that Ford has spent a significant amount of time prepping for the event, and he has confidence in the group.
“We probably spent 3 hours over the last 3 nights,” he said. “I think we have a solid chance at winning and it’s the boys’ turn to win.”
Eddie Howell, a senior and proctor in Mem West, wants to spread the fun about the Lip Sync.
“I feel like as a proctor I have to make it more fun for other students, and I feel that throughout the process more people, including myself, feel better and more fun about it,” he said.
Eddie explained that Mem has the expectation to just go out and have fun.
“(We’re) starting with ‘YMCA’ and then one group is doing ‘Only Girl (In the World)’ by Rihanna, and there are 2 other groups doing different songs,” he said. “We spent 2 hours during the week … I don’t think we can win, but I do think we can have a ton of fun.”
Eddie values how competitive the girls dorm are about the Lip Sync.
“They are really good at making everything as a group,” he said. “I’ve been leading the Lip Sync for my dorm and it is hard to make everyone to agree on something to do.”
Annika Stackmann, a junior from Guatemala City, Guatemala, and member of the Dance Team, is thrilled for the event, and brings experience to the stage.
“I’m so excited for tomorrow, it’s such a fun experience, and I’ve been waiting for this for a while now, because when they told me that Williston did this lip sync I was so excited,” she said. “In my old school we used to also have a similar thing. It was kind of sad that I was not doing it anymore, but then they told me about this and I don’t know its just so fun, it keeps me connected to dance, and its also such a good opportunity to get to know the people in the dorm that I don’t know that well.”
Annika believes this is a chance to connect, and notices it’s bringing out a secretive side to her friends from other dorms.
“I think its kind of funny that my friends from other dorms won’t tell me how their practices are going or what song they’re doing,” she said. “So it’s a very interesting side of Williston that I think I haven’t seen yet.”
Soleil Richardson, the Williston Dance Team captain competing in her 3rd time in the Lip Sync competition, is confident in her dorm, Mem East’s, ability. Soleil acknowledges the work that goes into putting on the production, but says there haven’t been many for her in all three years.
“The Lip Sync brings a lot of tension, not necessarily a bad tension, but when everyone has homework and doesn’t want to rehearse it can become a bit of a drag,” she said. “In my opinion people always end up having a lot of fun and thinking that it’s worth it for a good performance.”
Soleil thinks a girls’ dorm is going to take the trophy this year.
“I think it’s more expected for girls’ dorms to win because we take time to rehearse and have actual choreography,” she said. “Not to say that a boys’ dorm could never win, but I feel like its more likely for the girls dorms to try harder. I think we can win but I feel like all of them are gonna be really good this year.”
The Lip Sync competition took place Saturday, Jan. 13. Logan House won with a performance of “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’” from “Teen Beach Movie.”