JONAH LAGRANGE /THE CREIGHTONIAN

Right: Sig Ep’s performance made jaws drop with an appearance from a Pitbull character.
Left: Beta poses with the victors’ trophy after winning the contest with their synced moves.

I remember the way my jaw dropped when I attended Creighton University’s annual Lip Sync competition as a freshman in 2022, unaware of what I was walking into. The walls were practically shaking from the drumming of students’ feet and the chants that rang off each wall. I was enthralled. How could I not be?  

I never ended up participating in Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL), but that night was probably the most convinced I had ever been that I should. I’ve returned to Lip Sync every year since then. 

I’d bet the same feelings are true of many. You can see how much each fraternity and sorority cares about their performances — and how fun it is for the upperclassmen viewers to compare them. I’ve taken on that task, along with many of my friends. Together, we compiled a list of each performance, ranked them and discussed who we thought should win.  

We agreed with the panel of judges who chose Theta Phi Alpha as the sorority winners. We disagreed, however, on their decision to name Beta Theta Pi (Beta) the fraternity winners, despite their highly-coordinated number. There was one clear winner in our eyes: Sigma Phi Epsilon (Sig Ep).  

Sig Ep had that “wow factor” that we believe Beta did not possess. Beta was clearly well-rehearsed. Each member knew what they were doing, and it was rare to spot a mistake 

But Sig Ep had something different. They had that jaw-dropping effect that is hard to produce after the already-dizzying experience of entering the arena. I found myself shocked by the synchronized efforts of each Sig Ep member — leaping up from a prone position in sequence to create a spectacular “wave” effect.  

The performance included props like a shower curtain for Becky G’s “Shower,” and a segment that led members of Sig Ep into the crowd before quickly returning to make the beat drop in Pitbull’s “Fireball” (complete with an appearance from someone actually dressed as Pitbull).  

All of these factors made for a number that was creative, thrilling and, above all, “wowing.” This was, in our opinion, not as true of Beta’s performance. 

In the end, we acknowledged that we are not the judges on the Lip Sync panel. We do not know why Beta took the win. We never will. Was Sig Ep disqualified for breaking rules? Perhaps their airtime in the aforementioned “wave” move constituted a violation. Were the judges more focused on the precision that made Beta’s performance seem well-prepared than the “wow factor” my friends and I thought essential to secure a win? Maybe. 

Regardless, Lip Sync accomplished its task as it does every year: it gave the freshmen a glimpse into FSL life, provided some fun and reminded us of the spirited Creighton community that welcomes all of its students.