It was a jam-packed April 13 for Marquette University’s Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council as they presented their annual Airband competition — a lip sync dance battle between Marquette sororities and fraternities. The event, officially hosted by Safe & Sound, Inc., was MCed by Ellie Golko, a junior in the College of Communication, and Sean Connolly, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, and raised over $5,000.
Marking the 11th year of the competition, this year’s theme was “2016.” Members from Marquette’s six sororities and four fraternities dressed in thematic costumes, as each chapter performed a five-to-seven-minute dance and lip-sync to a mash-up of popular songs from the 2010s.
The judging panel was composed of Cassandra Mori, the Director of Student Engagement Services, Rae Dakins, Vice President of Marquette University’s Student Government and Bridget Whitaker, the Executive Director of Safe & Sound, Inc. – a charity that focuses on building safer and empowered communities in the Milwaukee area.
The trio judged each performance on creativity, originality, adherence to theme and, of course, each group’s dance and lip-syncing ability.
The competition holds some strict rules to ensure student safety, including not being allowed to leap too high or have more than 15 people on stage. If they violate these rules, the chapters risk a point deduction or a small fine.
The high-energy competition aims to raise money for Safe & Sound Inc., but the winning chapters also receive $100 towards their respective philanthropies.
The event kicked off at 7:00 p.m. with a performance from Alpha Omega Epsilon. Various throwback songs from 2016 were performed throughout the night, such as Sia’s “Cheap Thrills” and “HandClap” by Fitz and The Tantrums.
Sigma Phi Epsilon made references to the 2016 Harambe incident, in which a zookeeper shot a gorilla after a child fell into its exhibit, by having a member dance on stage in a gorilla costume.
Sigma Kappa recreated the viral mannequin challenge, while other chapters made various other cultural moments from 2016. Delta Tau Delta even recreated the famous “‘Dance Moms’ Boss Lady” dance and executed a water bottle flip, bringing the crowd to their feet.
At the end of the night, audiences were treated to a performance from the all-male Marquette a cappella group, The Naturals, where they sang two 2016 songs — including “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles — and a preview of their spring concert.
After the judges deliberated and determined the winners, the MCs announced the top three fraternities and sororities.
For the fraternities, Sigma Phi Epsilon placed third and Delta Chi placed second. For the sororities, Alpha Chi Omega placed third and Sigma Kappa placed second.
The big winners of the night were Delta Tau Delta and Kappa Delta, with Delta Tau Delta becoming back-to-back Airband champions.
Kappa Delta President Lilly Hanslik, a junior in the College of Business Administration, served as head choreographer for Delta Tau Delta and assistant choreographer for Kappa Delta. She was responsible for design formations, visuals and dance transitions.
“Delta Tau Delta [winning] was exciting because they had won the previous year and wanted to win again,” Hanslik said.
Coordinating this event was a group effort between members of the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Board. Chapter presidents and delegates worked in tandem in order to plan logistics, communicate with chapters and ensure everything ran smoothly.
Molly Tobin, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, serves as the Vice President of Programming for Panhellenic Council and worked as a coordinator for Airband.
“One of the biggest challenges was coordinating so many groups at once,” Tobin said. “But overall, everyone was really cooperative, and it’s been exciting to see everyone come together and have so much fun supporting each other.”
The event sparked a huge turnout with upwards of 1,000 audience members showing up to enjoy and take part in the competition. Shortly after the doors opened, seats filled and people had to stand in the back or sit on the floor.
“Airband is one of the best examples of how Greek life can bring people together in a positive and impactful way,” Tobin said. “It’s not just about performing; it’s about community, creativity and giving back.”
This article was written by Allison Scherquist. She can be contacted at [email protected].
