Due to COVID-19 protocols, the 2021 lip dub will be cancelled and replaced by Aragon’s first ever Homecoming carnival, taking place on Nov. 4 during flex at the football field. The carnival, organized by the Aragon Student Body, class council and Campus Connections, will offer a variety of games for students to actively participate in. These activities will be scattered around the football field, open to all classes during flex. Club officers will lead games such as Red Light, Green Light, Pin The Hat On The Don and Pictionary at different stations. Students have the chance to earn points in the games they play and the class with the most points will win the Don Baton for their class hallways, which is an Aragon tradition.
“To organize how [1700] people are participating, moving and communicating is … challenging”
However, freshmen and sophomores will not have the opportunity to experience the lip dub until later.
“It’s sad, to be honest,” said freshman Nalanie Davis. “[The lip dub] looks really fun and I would be really excited if we were able to do one. I thought it was … something everyone can be a part of [and a chance for others] to know Aragon better.”
Those who participated in prior lip dubs enjoyed the experience.
“When I was a freshman, I thought the lip dub was the coolest thing because I could be on camera for a split second and I got to stand next to my friends and … club members,” said junior Rachel Ramirez. “When I heard that we weren’t doing it, I was a little bummed because we wouldn’t be able to be together and have a video.”
The lip dub, which has been around for the last six years at Aragon, was a short video featuring students and staff lip syncing to songs as they went around campus with different clubs, sports and class years positioned in the background. The event was a way to showcase school spirit, Aragon pride and students having fun.
“We understand that the Aragon community connects with the lip dub”
“It gave a lot of people the opportunity to choose [what] they wanted to represent, [either] with their club [or with other groups],” said senior Jonathan Gu. “It was just a day we had off [and] a special occasion we [could] all participate in.”
This year, due to COVID-19 health precautions, having students in larger crowds for Aragon’s usual traditions has been an obstacle. While the adjustment for activities like rallies and school dances has been to move them outdoors, the lip dub faced a different set of difficulties.
“The point of the lip dub is [that] you’re mouthing the song,” said junior student council member Seth Weinfield. “[Wearing masks] really takes away a lot of the purpose. We understand that the Aragon community connects with the lip dub and we want [a replacement] that the Aragon community can connect with as well. We thought a carnival was a really fun way to do that.”
Usually, the planning process for the lip dub would have started months before Homecoming, during the second semester of the 2020-21 school year, but this last minute change has brought on the need to plan logistics in a shorter time frame.
“This decision [to host the schoolwide carnival] was made only about a month ago”
“This decision [to host the carnival] was made only about a month ago,” said Leadership teacher Melissa Perino. “To organize how [1700] people are participating, moving and communicating is incredibly challenging. Class councils have taken the lead on that and they have done an amazing job … organizing, collecting our supplies [and meeting] with clubs to talk about some of these things.”
Although the usual Aragon tradition of the lip dub will not be taking place this year, Aragon’s first homecoming carnival will allow for connection within the Aragon community. While it is uncertain whether a lip dub will be filmed next year, Aragon Leadership hopes to find ways to continue Aragon traditions for all students to enjoy and experience. For now, students will be able to bond through outdoor activities such as the carnival.
