Homecoming is a Laker tradition that allows students to show their Laker pride by competing in teams for the week to complete challenges and gain points. The team with the most points at the end of Homecoming week is the winner but any team can take first at any event. Grand Valley State University ended its Homecoming week with a classic Laker tradition: the LipSync competition. Going perfectly with this year’s theme “Back in Blue: A Laker Legacy,” those watching were taken through multiple generations with each performance. LipSync was held in GVSU’s Fieldhouse Arena on Friday, Oct. 10.

Every year, LipSync is judged based on its creativity, costumes and props, each team’s incorporation of the theme, dance choreography, their lip sync ability and the overall performance of each team. Each team went all out creating choreography that was both captivating and followed the theme well. The first place team for this year’s LipSync, and overall Homecoming, was “decade DominATOrZ,” which included Delta Zeta Sorority and Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.

“LipSync as a Homecoming tradition has meaning because all of those late night practices and doing a dance countless times over and over brings people together during weird, awkward and funny moments,” said Shannon Riffel, president of Delta Zeta and a member of “decade DominATOrZ.”

Riffel said LipSync brings people together because it forces individuals who might not normally spend time together to do just that. Add dancing to the mix and, though it sounds like it would be a total recipe for disaster and embarrassment, that’s what makes it fun, she said. 

“Sometimes you meet your longtime friends while practicing for LipSync,” she said. “The best part is just having fun on stage and even if we mess up, knowing that it’s all good because the friendships we made will last.”

The collaborative song choices chosen by each team added to the creativity of each performance. Since each team was allowed six minutes, teams chose a mash-up of songs from various eras that best represented that time period. The first place team was awarded 100 points, and every team ranked lower received 10 less points.

Alumni of GVSU, Carolyn Cordle, returned to campus on Friday in hopes of making it to LipSync. 

“It’s great seeing how things changed even in the past year with LipSync, and I love that everyone still gets involved,” she said after the performance.

Cordle added that LipSync is great whether you are watching the event or a part of the dance because everyone is always excited to see all of the performances.

Homecoming is an important part of the Laker tradition, Riffel said.

“To me, Homecoming means celebrating years of success and proud moments for my organization, Delta Zeta,” she said. “It means connecting with Lakers old and new and coming together just to have a great time and reminisce about the past.”