After placing second in Mock Rock on Saturday, WhitWatWay won the 2021 homecoming competition for the second time in three years. Niedfeldt placed second overall, and Team Dob came in third.
The alliance between Whitley, Waterman, and Galloway residences dominated the leaderboard throughout the week, placing in four out of five of the competitions.
“The big thing we wanted to do was tell a story throughout the week,” said Seth Ramm, head resident assistant of Galloway Residence. “So we asked, what are the best images we can do for America as a country? Obviously the signing of the Declaration, the Civil War, and the Cold War.”
On Thursday, WhitWhatWay continued their lead by placing in three of the five games in Minute to Win It. The competition included timed games such as the “Oreo face” challenge, cup stacking, and moving Tic Tacs with tweezers.
On Friday, Simpson racked up the highest number of volunteer hours, followed by Niedfeldt and WhitWatWay.
“I was proud of the efforts of me and my fellow Simpsonites in serving the community,” sophomore and Simpson resident Dean Ballantyne said. “Though we were hoping to win homecoming, we all genuinely enjoyed our time serving and we are not gonna stop after spirit week.”
Saturday night, Niedfeldt, WhitWatWay, and Team Dob placed in Mock Rock, the dance competition that counts for twice as many points as other events in homecoming week. The three judges were wife of Hillsdale College president Penny Arnn, Assistant Professor of Theology Cody Strecker, and Professor of Theatre James Brandon.
“There were so many unforgettable moments in Mock Rock, from the crossing of the Delaware, to the sudden appearance of Captain America Dob, all the backflips, the Macarena, and the American flag jumpsuits,” Strecker said. “Of course, there were a few sights I wish I could forget. I really wish I could unsee Isaac Wilhelm’s tongue, there wasn’t nearly distance from it right there in the front row.”
Niedfeldt’s performance, including flips and a replication of George Washington crossing the Delaware, placed first. Niedfeldt head RA and senior Ryan Perkins said the two weeks of practicing for Mock Rock bonds the dorm together.
“Words cannot express how proud I am of my guys,” Perkins said. “From the guys who ran stunts to the guys who had dance solos to the guys that perfected their part of the group choreography, every single one of the Niedfeldt men put in an incredible amount of work for this Mock Rock routine.”
Perkins credited sophomore resident John Ritchey for the choreography.
“Some have called him a dance guru, I would have to say that’s no lie,” Perkins said. “When it came to the idea for creating the crossing of the Delaware scene, we took inspiration from New Dorm’s winning homecoming photo submission. We were really motivated by the masterpiece they put out and decided we wanted to bring it to life in our mock rock.”
WhitWatWay placed second, with Ramm jumping past residents dressed as Soviets in a spacesuit and planting the American flag on the judge’s table.
“You need moments that sting everyone,” Ramm said. “We thought, no one ever touches the judge’s table, so let’s slam an American flag on that table.”
With the return of Dob Kintz ‘21, rising from a cardboard coffin to defeat communism, Team Dob placed third in the dance competition.
Strecker said the most difficult part about judging was staying in his seat.
“I think in the future more teams should invite the judges to join them on the dance floor,” Strecker said. “As both James and Penny kept remarking to me, just because we’re determining students’ self-worth doesn’t mean we don’t like to move it, too.”
