The Class of 2025 rocked campus Saturday night during the first annual Freshman Lipsync Battle.
“(Competing in Lipsync was) a really fun experience that brought me closer with the people I was already close with and … introduced me to more people I didn’t know before,” said Annie Duda, a commercial music and songwriting major from Pennsylvania who was inspired to join a competition team in order to strengthen and build friendships.
Four groups of freshmen competed for the silver walkman trophy. The Backstreet Men emerged victorious from their denim-clad performance of the Backstreet Boys’ classic hit “I Want It That Way.”
The student producers surprised the crowd with their own take on “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé, and hosts Grant Bobo and Liz McKell opened the show with a humorous performance of “Fabulous” from High School Musical.
Other competition groups showcased favorites from the 2000s including a sleek, girl-powered rendition of Rihanna’s “Umbrella”; a Southern twist on Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA”; and a Phineas & Ferb medley complete with a faux palm tree and bright costumes.
“We all love Phineas & Ferb to some degree and it was really fun to be in a group of people that … knew the show (well) enough to where I could reference it … and (we) kind of just knew … what was going on in (each other’s) heads,” said electrical and computer engineering student Hayden Smith. Smith joined the mashup group Beljeetles by random assignment but gained a group of friends with common interests.
Students who love to perform–like Duda–reveled in their first live audience since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Others seized the opportunity to step on stage for the first time.
“I was surprised that I did that,” Smith reflected. While he might have been wary of going on stage in the past, the unique experience of starting college provided the perfect opportunity to present himself in a new and honest way. “I could be myself, and that’s cool because now everybody will see me (that way going forward).”
“I went to the (first) group lead meeting … and I was completely overwhelmed,” said Purple Rain team lead and Pharmacy student Victoria Everhart. “So I was like, ‘If I’m doing this, I’m bringing everybody with me.’ I created fliers with cupcakes on (them), and I spread them throughout my (hall). … We ended up with 17 girls. … Everybody had different tasks … (and everybody) incorporated themselves into it. …We love each other to death and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.”
With the smashing success of Saturday’s performance, Freshman Lipsync Battle is expected to appear on the calendar annually, in addition to the time-honored student production Singarama.
“To all the freshmen next year, just do it,” said Duda.
Everhart added, “You’re only gonna be a freshman once. Embrace it.”
Photo by Abigail Kopp