Eight teams showcased their lip synching and dancing prowess before the student body that flooded Chase Gymnasium for Mock Rock 2012 on Friday, April 20. Weeks of team collaboration climaxed at the competition, which is one of the most anticipated events of the year for students. Despite the no-dancing policy, Biolans in the audience did not shy away from showing off their dance moves — though awkward moves for the most part — before and in between the Mock Rock performances.
The winner of this year’s Mock Rock was the dance-experienced “H@wt P0cK3Zz” led by sophomores AJ Dean, Rekah Kagawan and Sam Jones. The team contained 52 performers, including members from veteran Mock Rock group Xopoc, a team known for their proficiency in dancing who did not compete this year. Hot Pocketzz rushed the stage like a group of indie kids at a Smiths concert. All the teams were in a celebratory mood and congratulated the winners, showing that the true spirit of Mock Rock is in the fellowship experienced in preparation for the performance.
Dean talked about the bond they had with other teams and how they celebrated their victory.
“Chicken Poc was really the group that scared us the most, but those guys are our other half,” he said. “We called ourselves ‘Hot Chicken Pocketzz’ sometimes. It really didn’t set in for us at first that we actually won. But we were so excited, we went to Taco Bell with Chicken Poc and had a three-hour dance party and drank lemonade out of our trophy. It was a great time to celebrate.”
Students lined up early to ensure a seat
Mock Rock was full of performances making reference to many pop culture icons: Biola Ratio parodied “The Wizard of Oz,” SOS performed a modern rendition of “Romeo and Juliet,” and many other references were scattered throughout the performances.
“Leading a Mock Rock team has been challenging in a very rewarding way,” said Greg Sanders, SOS coordinator and the group’s Mock Rock choreographer. “Getting 60 people to do something is always a task, but it’s been really worth it. We’ve grown a lot as a team and I’m so thankful for everyone involved. There’s a lot of creativity and great dance moves. We have a lot of fun.”
This year, students lined up as much as seven hours before the popular event. Throughout the day, students were sprawled out on towels, rocking board shorts and tank tops as if Biola was transformed into a prime beach location. Last year, the gym was so jam-packed with students and their families that many students were turned away.
Campus Safety issued emails warning that the gym could not be overfilled and that saving spots was prohibited: this left adequate breathing, and dancing, room for the attendees. As one entered the event, the lights were low and the pounding beat of a custom dance mix reverberated through the whole building. The event stayed ahead of schedule this year, which gave more time for students to engage in spontaneous dance parties and celebration throughout.
