RAMS preliminaries successful

The competition ends a month of events fundraising for multiple sclerosis.

By Katie Yaeger

Published Feb. 24, 2012

Justin Pierce/Staff Photographer

Members of Alpha Phi perform Wednesday for the preliminaries of the Rockin' Against Multiple Sclerosis lip-syncing competition at The Blue Note. The finals for the competition will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at The Blue Note.

Cait Campbell/Graphic Designer

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Elaborate costumes, carefully choreographed dancing and dramatic lip-syncing annually bring MU students together for a charitable cause: the Rockin' Against Multiple Sclerosis Rock-It lip-sync competition.

During the past 18 years, RAMS has evolved into the largest on-campus philanthropy at MU. The organization raises money for supplies for multiple sclerosis patients in the mid-Missouri area and works closely with patients in the Columbia community.

"That's one of my favorite parts about it," RAMS co-director Alex Prestel said. "It's why I keep coming back every year and why they can't get rid of me. Because I love Mizzou, but I love Columbia just as much, and this really ties the campus and the community together, which I think is one of the many unique aspects of RAMS."

Members assist multiple sclerosis patients with small jobs year-round, RAMS co-director Sarah Bowman said.

"(Wednesday), we had a few steer-co members help a woman who has MS," Bowman said. "We cleaned her car, waxed it, hung a mirror in her house and she could not stop thanking us. We made her day."

Each February, RAMS hosts a series of events at MU and around Columbia in which campus organizations participate, earning points for each activity, according to the RAMS website. Money raised from each event is donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Institute and directly benefits patients in mid-Missouri. Events include Comedy Night, Jail-N-Bail and Cup Night.

Rock-It, the month's final event, showcases the performing and lip-syncing talents of participating organizations as well as the talents of smaller in-between-acts. Originally held at Midway, the competition has been held at The Blue Note for at least five years.

"The Blue Note is a great atmosphere," Bowman said. "I love coming and seeing it packed. It's so cool to see the excitement when The Blue Note comes to life."

This year, nine Interfraternity Council chapters and 12 Panhellenic Association chapters competed in Tuesday and Wednesday night's preliminary round. Acts in between consisted of individuals and small groups, with the Mizzou Competitive Dance Team dancing to a Top 40 mash-up Tuesday and a cappella group Mizzou Forte singing Wednesday.

Although the competing acts have historically been mostly Greek Life chapters, all organizations are welcome and encouraged to compete, Bowman said.

"We like to try to involve as much of campus as possible, not stopping with the Greek community," she said.

The show might be a competition, but many don't place much importance on the competitive aspect, Prestel said.

"It's not about the competition," Prestel said. "It's about having a great time with each other, enjoying entertaining acts and coming together to fight for such a great cause."

Chapters incorporated their personalities and senses of humor into each act to entertain full houses Tuesday and Wednesday night. Each performance had a theme.

Many acts included Top 40 hits in their set lists. Chi Omega channeled Lady Gaga and Britney Spears in "Getting Down with Divas," Delta Gamma danced to songs such as Ludacris' "My Chick Bad" during "Criminals" and Zeta Tau Alpha's "Zeta Swag" featured rap songs, ending with a dancer dressed as Lil Wayne throwing paper money at the audience.

Others channeled past music eras. Alpha Gamma Rho's "Boy Band Dance-off" featured songs by '90s stars *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, Pi Kappa Alpha's "One Hit Blunders" featured '80s and '90s songs from forgotten artists and Alpha Delta Pi's "Ladies Night Out with ADPi" featured selections by Kool & The Gang and The Weather Girls.

Still others centered around humor. Alpha Gamma Sigma's "The Seductive Sigmas" had the Grim Reaper in the background during the late Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," Delta Tau Delta's "The 2012 Grammys" imitated the music video of Dave Chappelle's "Piss on You" and "The Lonely Phi Kaps Part II" featured the parody "Frat Boy Swag" and reenacted parts of the YouTube video "We Are Mizzou."

Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta, FarmHouse, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Chi Omega, Pi Beta Phi, Alpha Phi, Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Alpha Theta will compete in the final round 7 p.m. Friday at The Blue Note, according to the organization's Twitter account.

Originally posted here:
RAMS preliminaries successful