By Matthew Fowler, Co-Editor-In-Chief
High expectations, rollin’ performances, money flying through the air and lots of applause; The Lip Sync Battle on Monday had many surprises.
But in the end, a group made up of five members of the Sloppy Joes improv team, performing to Ike and Tina Turner’s version of “Proud Mary,” won over the panel of judges, made up of Newman head of security Carlos Atondo, strength coach David Akao, admissions counselor Kolton Landreth and 2021 Newman graduate Gabby Altenor, an attorney and a former Miss Wichita.
The first of four student teams to perform was made up of Melissa Arguijo and Natalia Lopez, who called themselves “Da Pitbulls” The duo performed a mashup of songs by Pitbull while donning bald caps, aviator glasses, suits and fake facial hair.
The second lip sync team, the Sloppy Joes group made up of Gabriel Trevino, Max Masem, Joseph Kiley, Grace Doss and Luke Jones, began its performance wearing black choir robes and using canes, walkers and a wheelchair. The music picked up, and the members tore off their robes to reveal their dancing clothes. The audience clapped along to the choreographed performance, which included Trevino shimmying, shaking and even running, all while wearing heels.
Other student teams included the duo of Ilese Burroughs and Lizzy Kissling, who danced a choreographed number to “It’s Raining Men” weaning purple and pink raincoats with matching umbrellas, and a foursome that included Travia Smith, Alex Schreiner, Colby Schreiner and Haleigh Pearson.
That group, which called itself the Womb-Mates, performed a wide-ranging musical mashup with each member making multiple costume changes and Colby Schreiner dropping dramatically into the splits.
A group of coaches from soccer, softball and basketball performed a crowd-pleasing, though unrehearsed number as well. But the final and probably the most provocative number came from the surprise faculty and staff team of Mick Cayless, Yelando Johnson, Lawna Kurtyka, Ian Lecki and Jack Schafer.
They also performed to a mashup of songs, and the crowd howled when Lecki, dressed in a pink wig and neon green minidress, shimmied to Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass.”
After a tense waiting period while the judges deliberated, the results were announced: “Da Pitbulls” placed third, the “Womb-Mates” placed second and the Sloppy Joes not only won the people’s choice award but also the $500 grand prize.
PHOTO: Courtesy, Matthew Fowler, Co-Editor-In-Chief
