The Vernon Hills High School Kickoff Dance was in full swing on Saturday, Aug. 26, including a variety of activities like spikeball, cornhole, horseshoes, a DJ, refreshments like The Kona Ice truck and water, and the performance of the night: Senior Lip Sync.
Five teams battled for the title of Lip Sync Champions: Golden Hour, Senior Citizens, BaBa’s Bunch, Big Steppahs, and Fight Club, each having a three-minute coordinated routine.
The dances featured a variety of movie references, social media trends, and popular artists, including the Barbie Movie, Sofia the First, Ice Spice, Pitbull, Taylor Swift, and more.
Audience member Maricel Reyes (11) commented on the performances.
“I liked when the groups would bring in popular TikTok trends, or popular things that happened,” Reyes said.
Sophie Caudle (12) of the group Golden Hour reflected on the collaboration process.
“Instead of a more professional dance setting where there’s one or more choreographer or coach, we were all on the same level,” Caudle said. “We would do things together, [and] we’d all be up for criticism.”
Highlights from the night, including each lip sync routine, were captured on video by VHMedia and used to create a highlight reel. Videographer Orlando Alas Sandoval (12) shared his experience filming the event.
“I loved [the students] reactions,” Alas Sandoval said. “It was fun to see them smile or do something funky in front of the camera.”
In the end, Fight Club came out victorious after students in the crowd voted for their favorite groups. After the results came out, the lip sync groups moshed; other students took pictures and played games.
In addition to the Kickoff Dance, VHHS provides another opportunity for students to get involved in the school culture. Homecoming Week is a week away, and more details are being released about what everyone should anticipate in that time.
This year’s theme for homecoming is Carnival. Homecoming Week will run the first week of October and include the class color competition on Thursday, the Homecoming Football Game on Friday night, and the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, Oct. 7.
Student Council Executive Board Member Emily Hammond (11) shared that students can expect carnival themed games and food, decorated hallways, and plenty of school spirit.
Students Melany Slater (9) and Isabella Ugolkov (9), being new to VHHS, said they were most looking forward to the energy and everybody getting hyped up with school spirit during Homecoming Week.