Lip Sync 2012
If one were to have strolled around campus during consultation period last Tuesday, it wouldn’t have looked much like Spirit Week. No festive colors. No spirit games. No students, as a matter of fact. But there was a method to the lack of madness. Come Friday of the second Spirit Week of the year, the entire school congregates in the theatre for a time-honored Crystal tradition: LipSync. The week leading up to this competition of epic proportions is dedicated to intense and exhaustive practice. With only a handful of Spirit points separating the Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors, the tension in the theatre last Friday morning was palpable.
The sixth grade kicked off the show with an age-appropriate and side-splitting rendition of the "Cailou" theme song spliced with some good 'ole Jay Sean. After the seventh and eighth grades graced the stage with timeless Britney Spears and Outcast spoofs, respectively, the Upper School began to strut its stuff. First up were the freshman, who broke the mould with a well-executed yet hilarious "I'm a Barbie Girl." But when the sophomores began their performance, the entire theatre braced itself for the bar to be raised. The stunning grace of Andrew W.'s interpretive ballet (that's the only way I can describe it) to the tune of Ms. Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" dropped many a jaw, and the fun continued with flawless choreography to the tune of "Got You" and "Jitterbug" (the latter being a personal favorite). Next up were the juniors, who, while failing to outclass their competition, jerked and dougied and I-don't-know-what-elsed their hearts out to the tune of an LMFAO montage.
And finally, the seniors rose. First came a short skit, in which I informed the student body of my plans to stage a coup and turn democratic CSUS into a monarchy. I was then promptly assassinated by my co-President, Rachel (who may have felt a little snubbed by my new title, Overlord James I). After some flawless footwork to the beat of MJ's "Smooth Criminal," the seniors revealed newly minted class tank tops (proudly sporting "2Oh!12") and drew a plush curtain on the student performances with what else but "Thriller."
But there was one more performance to witness. The faculty, last year's LipSync champions, were nothing short of a little disgruntled upon discovering that, this year, their LipSync would be purely honorary: they would not be placed. Soon, a taste of déjà vu hit us all as Katy Perry's familiar "Firework" -- last year's championship-winning song -- began to blare. But soon, Mr. Whitmore (Admissions) and Dr. Karraker (Chemistry) threw shame by the wayside and expressed their grievances with "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "We are the Champions."
It was certainly a year for the record books, but the judges weren't satisfied. The crowd was soon informed of a three-way tie for first between the 10th, 11th, in 12th grades. The solution? A dance-off. Six class representatives showcased their very best for a final round of judging to the instant classic, "Teach Me How to Dougie." And after several agonizing minutes, a verdict was reached.
3rd: Juniors
2nd: Seniors
1st: Sophomores (<-- to no one's surprise).
If that's not a heck of a tradition, I don't know what is.
If that's not a heck of a tradition, I don't know what is.