A long journey brought us here for the past four years
We're almost through
We have one final mission - Fight off the Dark Force
Graduate ACU!

Sing the above lines to the Star Wars theme (and imagine large yellow text slowly scrolling upwards along the screen), and welcome to this year's senior class Sing Song act. My last ever (sniff). And trust me, it's wickedly clever.

Sing Song is a somewhat unique ACU phenomenon, the 1957 brainchild of Dr. Bob Hunter (whom Jeremiah met yesterday - see his blog for more about that). It has slowly evolved from groups of students standing stock-still on risers, singing songs from popular radio and musicals (a cappella), to a showstopping production complete with lighting effects, musical numbers from hosts and hostesses, outrageous costumes, and the ever-famous "Sing Song face." This requires raising your eyebrows till they almost fly off your head; opening your eyes as wide as you can; and dropping your jaw in a half-smiling, half-screaming position. Up close, it's scary as all get-out. But from far away, apparently, it looks enthusiastic and cute.

I had never seen a Sing Song act before I came to ACU. Didn't know what the show was, in fact. But I'd heard enough about it (and participated in Freshman Follies, its smaller, freshmen-only counterpart) to be interested, so I tried out for the freshman class act. This resulted in (among other things) my spending several nights a week with a hundred other freshmen in the Mabee Business Building, trying to learn lyrics and choreography that showcased our talents as - what else? - ice cream men. We wore sherbet-colored medical scrubs (raspberry, lime and orange) with silver sequined suspenders and black bow ties, spray-painted with silver glitter, and those little paper hats that doughnut makers wear. (Most of us who were in that act, by the way, can STILL sing the whole thing straight through. That's how often we practiced it. Some people, like my friend Jeff McCain - "Mr. Sing Song" - can still do the choreography.)

I missed Sing Song my sophomore year, due to being in Oxford (actually, I was in Bath that weekend, freezing to death, learning about Jane Austen and eating at Sally Lunn's Buns). Apparently our class put on a great act as "Men in Tights." And last year...well, we threw together our act at the LAST minute, with a total of three rehearsals, lyrics but no sheet music (or theme, really), and a dress-rehearsal appearance by Jeff McCain to whip us into shape. (I told you he was Mr. Sing Song.)

This year (obviously), our theme is Star Wars - and we're raring to go. The intensity isn't quite the same as freshman year: too many people have night classes, work, and commitments to other acts for us to be quite that diehard. But we really want to have a good show. After all, for most of us, this is our last shot. We're the Centennial class, and we came in with a bang our freshman year. Most of us, including myself, would like to go out with a bang as well.

Why? Bragging rights, for one thing. ("We started AND ended our college career with wins!") To prove that we can do it, even after last year's almost-debacle (hey, it was still funny). To support our campus community (after all, where else do people get crazy enough to do this every February?). And, oh yeah, to have a good time.

Even if it means waving my arms like a maniac while singing original lyrics to songs like Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now," Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" and John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy." Or making light-saber noises while Darth Vader fights a deadly battle with a purple-clad Luke Skywalker.

Ah, Sing Song...there's absolutely nothing like it.