Every seat was occupied at the Green Music Center on Friday for Alpha Gamma Delta’s (AGD) philanthropy event: Lip Jam 2014. Thirteen sororities and fraternities had been practicing their choreographed, themed routines for the past three months in support of the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation, which raises money for diabetes education and awareness.
To make things interesting, AGD decided to require random props and specific activities for each fraternity and sorority to include in their routines.
Every group that participated showed a great amount of enthusiasm and dedication in practicing for the philanthropy event, which was evident in each of their performances.
After deliberation amongst the judges, which consisted of faculty members from Sonoma State, AGD announced the ladies of Alpha Xi Delta and the gentlemen of Alpha Psi as the winners of Lip Jam 2014.
Gamma Phi Beta member Kelsey Ertola and Alpha Psi member Zac Hersh hosted the philanthropy event and started the show off by introducing the Alpha Gamma Delta fall 2013 initiates.
Gamma Phi Beta took the stage shortly after with a Peter Pan inspired routine for their dance crew, “The Chase.” Their performance was complete with 15 chairs and a mirrored routine that playfully featured “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake. The decked out group dressed in a variety of unique costumes including Peter Pan’s lost boys, mermaids, pirates, Native Americans, Peter Pan, Wendy and other familiar characters from the “Peter Pan” story. The routine was very well-choreographed and was performed with enthusiasm and smiles all around.
Up next, Alpha Epsilon Pi performed with seven flashlights and started a chain reaction onstage with “Evacuate the Dance Floor” by Cascada.
Their dance crew name, “Jews with Attitude,” definitely lived up to its title with a sassy routine that featured the fraternity members in leather jackets and sunglasses. As last year’s winners, Alpha Epsilon Pi did not disappoint in entertaining the audience with their routine that even featured a member dressed as a woman.
Phi Sigma Sigma continued the show with a Super Mario Bros. themed routine that highlighted 12 empty trash cans and “Walk Like a Dinosaur” by Was (Was Not). Their challenge was to imitate dinosaurs in their routine, which happened to work perfectly with their theme because Super Mario Brothers features Yoshi, a dinosaur character. “Mega Crew” is the team name they gave themselves and it was quite fitting considering their unique, well-executed performance.
“Goodfellas,” Alpha Sigma Phi’s dance crew, performed to “Slow Jams” by Kanye West and used seven pairs of boxing gloves in their routine. The men of Alpha Sigma Phi sported black shorts, bandanas and loose white T-shirts. “Goodfellas” routine ended with the Can-Can, which gave the audience a good chuckle.
Kappa Delta Zeta gave one of the most unique performances of the evening with a routine that featured a series of “Girl Code” references that can be seen throughout Disney movies. Their group, “The Outcastz” referenced Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid and Mulan. “Hit The Floor” by Twista blasted through the GMC as members of Kappa Delta Zeta literally got low to the floor while incorporating 24 mops. Kappa’s performance was unlike any other on stage that night, which definitely made their routine quite unforgettable.
Winners of Lip Jam 2014 Alpha Psi gave an impressive performance as “The Wolfpack.” The routine revolved around aspects of the famous movie, “The Hangover.”
The gentlemen of Alpha Psi used 10 red pool noodles, which they used in sync with “Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex. “The Wolfpack” even showed off their hidden country line dancing skills. The performance included characters from “The Hangover,” which made for a hilarious, witty routine.
Winners of The People’s Choice, Alpha Delta Pi, gave an amazing performance that incorporated six pairs of crutches and featured “Earthquake” by DJ Fresh. Alpha Delta Pi’s challenge was to make themselves look like they were in an earthquake, which was executed perfectly in this well-coordinated routine. The dance crew called themselves “The Take Over” and featured eye-catching costumes of aliens, army members and lifeguards that truly did take over the audience’s attention.
“iGroove,” Phi Delta Theta’s dance crew, performed a routine that used roughly 15 pots and pans and Lil Flip’s “Game Over.” Phi Delta Theta members wore a variety of outfits including plaid shirts during a country tidbit in their routine. In addition, Phi Delta Theta was required to make a portion of their routine simulate a video game.
“My favorite part of participating in Lip Jam was the rush of getting onstage with brothers and hearing people cheer for us,” said Phi Delta Theta performer Nick Carmona. “We thought it was important to participate, not only to raise money for a great cause, but to promote unity and friendship with not only our members, but others as well.”
“The Last Tribute” dance crew featured the ladies of Alpha Omicron Pi. The routine was based off of “The Hunger Games” series and highlighted “Light em Up” by Fall Out Boy.
Their dance included a series of battle scenes and featured junior Brittney Bruschera as Katniss. Overall, the routine was entertaining and upbeat.
Winners of Lip Jam 2014 Alpha Xi Delta left quite the impression on the judges with their Alice in Wonderland themed dance crew titled, “The Dream Team.”
Using one table and a plethora of costumes, Alpha Xi Delta danced to “Technologic” by Daft Punk. “The Dream Team” gave a performance that was striking and hard to forget with their accurate interpretation of Alice in Wonderland.
“Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas began to play as members of Tau Kappa Epsilon took the stage with their routine that featured martial arts moves. The gentlemen of TKE wore towels as part of their assigned prop and seemed to be having a lot of fun while performing.
Lambda Kappa Pi made their first appearance at Lip Jam this year and made a splash with their routine to “Cupid Shuffle,” by Cupid.
The routine featured each sorority member in bright, 80s themed workout clothing and an ensemble with four yoga balls. “One Dove,” Lambda Kappa’s dance crew, was full of enthusiasm and had an amazing first performance at Lip Jam 2014.
Alpha Gamma Delta’s seniors closed the show with their tribute to “Shut Up and Drive,” by Rihanna. The seniors called themselves “Bandidas.” The routine was sexy and it was easy to tell the seniors performing gave it their all.
“I’m sad my time here is slowly coming to a halt,” said graduating senior Nikki Yakel. “But I am certain the ladies of Alpha Gamma Delta will continue on the traditions of Lip Jam and raise more money for our foundation than we ever imagined possible.”
Not only was every seat in the GMC filled, but Alpha Gamma Delta also raised more than $18,000 in donations alone. The total amount raised from ticket sales will be announced sometime this week. AGD hosted another amazing Lip Jam but it couldn’t have been possible without donors, sponsors, school spirit and dedication to making a difference. Lip Jam continues to surpass expectations and make a huge impact in the world of diabetes research every year.