Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity took home first place in this year’s Songfest, a competition hosted by Student Engagement and Belonging, in which student organizations participate in a lip sync battle. Each year brings a new theme for Songfest, and this year was “The Best of Both Worlds.” 

The theme for Sigma Phi Epsilon’s routine theme was “Latin Hip Hop vs. American Hip Hop.”

“I remember when I did Songfest back in the day and it was always a culmination of weeks of hard work,” said Fraternity and Sorority Life coordinator Nate DeGraffenreid. “That’s the stuff you don’t get to see – is what they do behind the scenes, the nights of practices, the bonding, the sisterhood, the brotherhood that they all built together. And then you get to see that play out on the big stage. It’s just one of those core college memories that they’ll always remember.”

Teams in first, second and third place won $1000, $500 and $250 respectively. “It feels great to win,” Sigma Phi Epsilon member Samuel Hamilton said. “The process was gritty. A lot of long nights in the basement, working hard. We have our philanthropy event coming up, Chili Feed. We’ll use (the award money) for that.”

Delta Gamma sorority took second place with their performance, “Britney Spears vs. Justin Timberlake,” followed by Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity with “Hip Hop vs. Pop.”

“It was so fun,” said Abby Allen, a member of Delta Gamma. “Me and our other Songfest director, Brooklyn, choreographed and had so much fun doing it. This is my fourth year doing SongFest and I am just so happy that we placed.” 

Carley Reed, a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, said, “I’ve been a dancer since I was three, and this is kind of a way to channel my inner dancer. We do it every year. The place doesn’t matter. It’s the memories that matter.”

Editor’s Note: Airianna Sallaz is  a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Independent editors were a part of the review process.