Open-mic ‘battle’ returns to help alum in need
By Samantha Brandbergh
Students will get a chance to help a family in need by lip-syncing to their favorite songs this coming Friday, Oct. 21.
Rider’s second annual Lip Sync Battle, which will have a Halloween theme, will begin at 8 p.m. in the pub. Based on the television show of the same name and the segment on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” Lip Sync Battle is just that, a battle between two performers who rely on their stage presence rather than their vocals.
The event will be soundtracked by junior marketing major Ezra Hill, who will serve as the DJ for the night.
Students are recruited to perform through email or word of mouth, according to junior behavioral neuroscience major and the Student Entertainment Council’s (SEC) Traditions Chair, Kevin Munoz.
“The event is not hard to coordinate, as it is basically an open mic night in which students lip sync a song alone, or with a partner,” said Munoz. “After every performance, a donation bucket is passed around, and those in attendance donate toward the acts they like.”
One of the performers, junior accounting major Greg Mattessich, is no stranger to open mic events and is certain that audiences will be in for some “surprises” come Friday night.
“I expect to blow them away with the sheer power of my lip-to-music synchronization,” he said. “It’s not even something I can joke about. It’s that good. I’m not bad at dancing either.”
Similar to last year, the donations from the event will go towards Relay for Life with hopes to exceed the $150 raised last spring.
However, the SEC will be teaming up with Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) to spread awareness of the event, and to help a TKE alum, Paul Bachman, his father and his family.
“My dad, Paul Bachman [Sr], was involved in a tragic car accident on Tuesday, Sept. 27,” Bachman wrote on the Gofundme page, Paul Bachman Sr. Expenses.
The page, so far, has raised $9,542 in 13 days.
“He has endured several serious injuries and required surgery, as a result,” he said.” He is currently in the ICU and continues to fight through recovery, as he has been known to do.”
Bachman’s recovery time is unknown, but his son vows to update the Gofundme page as often as possible.
“Any donation will help and be truly appreciated,” he wrote. “And although he would hate to know I was doing this on his behalf, I wouldn’t be doing it if he and my mom didn’t need it.”
In addition to the Gofundme donations, some of the proceeds raised at the Lip Sync Battle will go to the Bachman family.
Munoz is confident that, with the help of TKE and the generosity of the Rider community, the Lip Sync Battle will be a success.
“We are hoping to get a good amount of attendance,” he said. “It will be a fun night, and, if you are 21, you can drink a beer and enjoy the performances.”
Reporting by Christina Boniello
Printed in the 10/19/16 edition
