Corrections were made to this story on [3/3/2022]

In the story, there was no first mention of Christian Chantayan’s first name and his SGA position. His last name was also spelled wrong. This has been rewritten with the correct name and his title. 

The story below has been corrected with the noted revisions. 

In a hallway lined with stripes and stars, pots of gold, pink streamers, and New Year’s glitter, students anxiously waited for their cue during the 2020 Lip Dub. When the camera approached, students went from standing to dancing. This spectacle of energy, however, was a key missing factor in the 2021 Spirit Week.  

As Spirit Week approaches, students are preparing for one of its traditions on campus: the Lip Dub. The SGA historians, communications junior Lexi Critchett and communications senior Caroline Murray, are working in preparation for the “Bring Back the Hype” themed event taking place on Thursday, March 10.

“(The ‘Bring Back the Hype’ theme) means having a lot of hype songs, keeping it at the pace of what Lexi is filming, and a lot of eye movements,” Murray said. “This year we’re trying to incorporate trendy new sets and scenes that have never been done before in an effort to reach a whole new level of excitement.”

Critchett and Murray are working behind the camera on creating a plan on what the Lip Dub is going to look like by mapping the filming route, choosing lip signers, and crafting song selections. One challenge SGA is experiencing during the planning process is how to represent and organize the 47 clubs and organizations that will be featured on-camera.

“We’re gonna have people helping us with the music and organizing, but it’s a very tight-knit group because too many people can make the process messy,” Murray said. “So I’m the person that runs about a minute ahead and makes sure everyone is in their positions and is ready to go.”

In an effort to include all students on campus, Murray explained how they are focusing the Lip Dub on capturing the diversity within the student body by including students of all talents and backgrounds. Murray wants “everyone who feels like they’ve been underrepresented in past years to have time to shine.” To do this, SGA composed a list of students who are going to be lip singers for the event, each representing a different community on campus. Representative of the soccer team, vocal junior Matthew Stenberg, is participating in the Lip Dub as a singer for the first time.

“It’s just so stressful and crazy, but fun at the same time because everyone’s running around and holding a speaker,” Stenberg said, referring to filming the Lip Dub. “Last time I did it, I was in soccer, and I was stuck behind the crowd … I’ve watched (the Lip Dub) for years and it’ll always be out there on the internet, so it is going to be cool to be part of that.”

Lip singers have to memorize the lyrics to their assigned song prior to filming. SGA co-President and communications senior Christian Chantayan noted how he is going to ensure he knows the lyrics so he can appear “animated” when presenting.

“This is something that’s been brewing in the students’ minds for years,” Chantayan said. “Knowing that the Lip Dub is soon, I think they’re going to go at it with full force, and that’s (going to) be really great to see.”

Junior Class Council co-President and communications junior Julia Smerling hopes that Lip Dub will show how “art is the thing that really binds us together as a school.” 

“Even though we come from different backgrounds and we’re all different people, art is what makes us who we are,” Smerling said. “The Lip Dub highlights that aspect of a connection between all Dreyfoos students. It reminds us of who we are, and that we’re more than just test scores. We are people who love art and embrace our individuality.”