A packed auditorium. Five judges. Fourteen organizations. Nine teams, with only three moving on to the finals. Our theme for the competition: bring your game face. Hosted by the Office of Student Development and Orientation. With only six minutes each to win it. This is the Lip Sync competition.
“We wanted to promote school spirit,” Mario Ramirez, assistant director student development and orientation, said, “so we wanted our student organizations to be thinking like that.”
When the doors opened on Monday night at 7:30 p.m starting off the Homecoming week, a flood of excited students, faculty members and parents entered Akin auditorium. In less than 30 minutes, the auditorium’s seats were all taken, around 420 people sitting down, and dozens more in the aisles. Ramirez warned that seating at the event was first-come, first-served. Ushers denied dozens more to the overcrowded auditurim to remain in compliance with fire regulation’s.
“I like the school spirit here,” Auten Lange, history junior, said, “It’s my first year here, I came from UNT and their school spirit is weak compared to MSU’s.”
Starting off the event was Kappa Sigma and Sigma Kappa, setting the fast pace for the rest of the night. Then came Black Student Union, Chi Omega/Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which came in first place at the competition. The returning champions, Caribbean Student Organization came in second. Gamma Phi Beta and Tau Kappa Epsilon, then Alpha Phi/Sigma Nu/Kappa Alpha Order, followed by the Maniacs. Ending the night with the cheerleaders coming in third place.
“It’s a new way to meet people,” Marc Zographos, marketing junior, said, “It’s a fun experience and a tradition to me, plus I’m terrible at building boats.”
Competitors had 10 minutes before the competition to rehearse. The rules: no throwing, dropping of people, items, glitter on people during performances. Music played, during the performance, should not have excessive profanity in them, due to children in the audience. The Lip Sync competition is made up of dancing, acting, lip-synching. It’s got a little bit of everything.
“I’ve been to Lip Sync the past few years, it looked like fun,” Makenzie Anderson, nursing junior, said, “It’s my favorite, it’s so care free and I like to dance.”
Winners of the Lip Sync will compete for the final places in front of the campus on Thursday, Oct. 27 during the pep rally at 9:15 p.m. First place will receive an award of $500 plus the traveling trophy. Second place will receive an award of $300 and an award plaque. Third place will receive an award of $200 and an award plaque.
“Most don’t do it for the money,” Ramirez said, “They do it for the traveling trophy and bragging rights.”