Photo by: Abby Bellow
The women of Gamma Rho, Theta Theta Theta, Pi Zeta Phi, Iota Kappa Phi and Lambda Chi Zeta are joining the men of Delta Gamma Sigma, Chi Lambda Phi, Kappa Sigma Tau, Psi Epsilon, Omega Psi Omicron and Alpha Gamma Omega to present Spring Sing 2014: the Greatest Hits.
When describing Spring Sing, junior Cameron Mara, a member of Chi, had a unique explanation.
“[Spring Sing is like] the Sing-Off and America’s Next Dance Crew had a baby, and it comes to OC every spring,” Mara said.
Anyone who attends the performances can expect plenty of animated choreography, straight lines and out-of-the-box facial expressions. What the audience does not typically see is the level of effort invested by students.
Between practices, lock-ins and running through the routines, it is safe to say Spring Sing takes a substantial amount of time.
“Spring Sing is incredibly time consuming, but in the end it is completely worth it,” sophomore Allana Reames of Theta said. “You get to bond with your sisters and put effort into a great show.”
Balancing academics, socializing, work and Spring Sing schedules often leads to sleep deprivation for student participants.
“My least favorite part of Spring Sing is probably the late-night practices,” sophomore Kelcy Nash of Gamma said. “I like to sleep, but … I can go into a Spring Sing coma when it is all over.”
Every student has a different motivation for joining the ranks of other Spring Singers.
“I decided to do Spring Sing because of the wonderful bonding experience it is,” senior Rebecca Hobbes of Gamma said.
Some clubs require the participation of the members.
“To be honest, in Theta we are required to do Spring Sing,” Reames said. “I wasn’t very excited about it at first, but … I started to really enjoy it.”
Other students believe that the production is just another part of springtime at Oklahoma Christian.
“Spring Sing is like Nike, you just do it,” junior Mitch Aufiero of Psi said.
Typically every club participates as individual groups. This year, Lambda and Omega have joined forces.
“The best part of our show this year is teaming up with Omega,” senior Megan Reed of Lambda said.
Every club experiences challenges while preparing for the final shows.
“My least favorite part is the struggle to keep singing through the extreme dance moves,” senior Katelyn Jackson of Iota said. “Practice is hard work, respect and mostly screaming.”
Many clubs have Spring Sing traditions that have been passed down for years.
“Our tradition is definitely how much effort we put into unity,” Reed said.
Other clubs are a little younger and are still working to implement traditions for future members.
“Since we are a newer club, we don’t necessarily have any major traditions,” senior Jacqueline Lovejoy of Iota said.
Delta is known for pulling a show together with little preparation.
“We mostly just mess around and then all of a sudden we have a show,” senior Lee Branch of Delta said. “Our tradition is that we try to try as little as possible.”
For each student, Spring Sing means something different.
“This just brings all of the club participants closer together,” Mara said.
The level of effort that is invested varies from club to club, but overall the motto is to have fun.
“To me, Spring Sing is a time where trying to be a weirdo is cool and trying to be cool is weird,” Branch said.
While Spring Sing is a competition, club members are quick to emphasize the value that rests outside of taking home first place.
“Spring Sing is more than just trying to win a trophy or representing your club well,” senior Christian Kincheloe of Kappa said. “It is about making memories and establishing friendships.”
In the end, most students are glad they participated.
“Spring Sing is really crazy, but strangely worth it,” junior Mindy Borth of Pi said.
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