By: Jessica Farley

Calvin Smith rocked the annual homecoming lip-synching competition last year.

His name popped up on chatrooms, and he was even recognized and stopped by students on campus.

“A group of girls came up to me in a dining hall one night asking me to help them with their moves; it was hilarious!” says Calvin, a 20 year old junior, majoring in Communication.

But fans were shocked that he didn’t compete this year.

Many attendees of George Mason University’s annual Homecoming celebration were left disappointed

Sophomore Julie Michals, 19, majoring in Communication, remembers Smith from the previous year and was “bummed not to see him; I was looking forward to what he would bring to the table this year. He’s really talented!”

The competition, known this year as “Just Keep Singing!”- has been a staple of GMU Homecoming festivities for the past four years. The competition is performed either in groups or solo, and is judged on the following criteria: lip synching abilities, originality and creativity, appearance, crowd response, and time restrictions. Cash prizes are rewarded for first through third place winners, amounting to $100, $50, and $25  respectively.

So what accounts for his non-presence at this year’s competition, particularly after cultivating a fan base from past years? “Simply put, school comes first for me,” Calvin said. “Now that I’m in my junior year, I’ve gotten more serious about academics, and just didn’t have the time in my schedule to prepare a performance…”

Smith claims that, in past years, he spent at least two weeks deciding on a song, working on expressions and choreography, and practicing in front of close friends. And he didn’t want to deliver a sub-par performance.

What about next year? Will he be back?

“We’ll just have to wait and see…”