Mock Rock 2014
Written by Megan Polston
Beneath the ballooning white tent next to the sports complex, voices mingle all together, growing louder and louder as the tent fills with eagerness and nostalgia of students past and present. Men and women from all across campus and all across the country gather together in a somehow coordinated panoply of colors and themed outfits. In the corners of the tent, students stretch and practice intricate jumps and lifts. Teams assemble nearby, discussing last-minute details, trying to ease the jumble of nerves coursing through their bodies. It’s the final event of this year’s homecoming week. Welcome to Mock Rock 2014.
Homecoming at Hillsdale College is an all-out marathon in which every dorm, Greek organization and athletic team compete in a series of competitions that take place throughout the week leading up to the homecoming football game. Perhaps the most celebrated of these events is an annual dance-off called Mock Rock.
For weeks leading up to the competition, each group on campus choreographs a dance and gathers together to learn music, formations, and stunts. The dances range from interpretive and lighthearted to hip-hop and hard core. Some teams practice for weeks or even months on end, while others go with a more last-minute approach. Either way, when groups hit the stage, they reveal all that their hard work has accomplished in a three-to-five minute bustle of music and motion.
Hillsdale College Junior Meghan Pradko describes the event during a late night rehearsal, saying, “It is, by far, my favorite event. Everyone rallies together and gets really into it. It’s amazing how much unity can come just from dancing together.” Each year, sets of crowded bleachers, spilling over with enthusiastic students, testify to this fact; below, only standing room remains. Meanwhile, students scream and cheer as their fellow classmates and friends shimmy, launch, shake, and leap their way across the dance floor in an effort to win the Mock Rock title.
This year, in a twist new to the competition, teams were allowed to feature alumni and faculty members for extra points. Friendly and familiar faces from around campus and from years past appeared throughout the night, sprinkled among the crowd and the dancers. Students, professors, and alumni alike joined on the stage, welcoming the chance to remind themselves of their mutual connection in Hillsdale. Still, others milled about with another motive, peering over shoulders merely for the chance to glimpse a dancing professor. They are, after all, a rarity.
Mock Rock testifies well to the spirit and creativity of Hillsdale students. Whether the dance was learned over the course of several weeks or hammered into minds over several days, the spirit of competition and the satisfaction of an excellent performance lend to the communal appreciation of a long established tradition.
Megan Polston is a junior English major from Tucson, Arizona, and a member of the Pi Beta Phi women’s fraternity. Following graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in publishing youth fiction.