Stage fright is real, but when it comes to Vandal pride, students of the University of Idaho will push their fears aside and display their pride loudly.
Wednesday night, UI students showed their pride at the Homecoming Anthems in the International Ballroom of the Bruce Pitman Center.
Kevin neighbors | Argonaut
Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Kappa Delta sorority wrap up their winning skit at the Homecoming Anthems.
Students showed up dressed in costumes made up of silver and gold face paint, swimwear, fake beards, leotards and even ape costumes. The performers of the songs and skits competed against other groups to win points for their teams in the ongoing homecoming competition.
The team of Kappa Delta sorority and Phi Delta Theta fraternity took the gold home at this year’s anthems with their, synchronized swimming routine, followed by second place winners Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity and in third Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Sigma Nu fraternity.
Despite the competitive nature of the event, the anthems were more of a communal celebration of Vandal pride.
Gaven Flowers, a sophomore member of Phi Delta Theta, said his team began working on their anthem Sunday, working two hours everyday in their fraternity’s informal room.
Even though she hurt her ankle during the routine, Homecoming Chair for Kappa Delta Meredith Breen said the victory was worth the pain.
“I was browsing Facebook, and one of my friends shared a fifth-grade talent show doing synchronized swimming, and I thought, ‘How hilarious would it be to get a bunch of college students up there to perform the hell out of it,’” Breen said.
The audience responded well to Kappa Delta and Phi Delta Theta’s skit, laughing all throughout, cheering on the team.
“Meredith came to me and said, ‘Hey we are partners. We are going to do this idea,’ I looked at it and said, ‘That’s great, we’ll put on some hilarious classical music and be all serious,’ and we won,” Flowers said.
Kappa Sigma fraternity and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, although they did not place, received positive reactions to their skit as well.
“I liked K-Sig and Theta’s,” said ___, a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. “I liked the surprise element.”
The team performed a choreographed group dance number and surprised the audience by throwing green paper, representing money, into the audience. The audience roared with laughter and applause as the pair made it rain in the International Ballroom.
The men of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity prepared their skit shortly before the event, said Adam Blender, a member of the fraternity.
“It was a group effort to come up with something fast, and it was better than we expected,” Blender said.
The fraternity skit showcased Joe Vandal in an Olympic boxing match with a man wearing a horse mask, representing the mascot for Boise State University. The crowd cheered as Joe Vandal dominated the Bronco in their skit.
The anthems are one of the most energized events of Homecoming Week, said Lise Welch, assistant chair of the Homecoming Committee. Everyone cheers — they are loud and supportive of their own team and others, she said.
“My favorite thing is seeing the people on stage, everyone is having a good time,” Welch said. “Even if your skit goes completely wrong, everyone comes off the stage laughing, having a great time, and at the end of the day that’s what matters.”
Kevin Neighbors can be reached at [email protected]