This afternoon, as the camera started rolling and music began blasting, the hallways crowded with students and staff alike. Everyone sprinted to their first location, and a nervous silence filled the air as they waited for the camera to turn the corner. Suddenly, the entire school was in motion. Confetti flew through the air and students jumped with excitement. After two years, the Lip Dub was finally back.
The Lip Dub is a THS tradition where the various clubs and organizations of the school come together to showcase their school spirit and unity. Each group has two upperclassmen lip sync a small snippet of a song while the rest of the club members cheer them on from the sides holding posters, throwing confetti, waving props, and more. With the last Lip Dub having been held in October of 2023, students were eager for another one and believed it would be a great way to show off the changes provided by the referendum, as well as raise school spirit. This year, the filming encompassed almost the entire first floor, stretching from the administrative lobby to the newly-renovated main gym.
The process of planning began in September, but it was during the last two weeks that the Student Organization truly made the idea a reality through daily meetings in Mr. Moger’s room to coordinate the teams and clubs. After first sending a Google Form to all the organizations affiliated with THS, the SO then decided which clubs would be stationed in the ten main zones. The next step was to adjust the amount of people in each zone depending on the size of the space to prevent overcrowding. Finally, lyrics were assigned to each group that had singers. As for behind the scenes, Moger and the MTV students worked out the more technical aspects of the event—filming, camera routes, and song choices. All this cumulated in a rehearsal for singers on early Monday morning, then in two more run-throughs before the final take.
Mrs. Toale, the advisor of the SO, thought that the event went well after a rocky start.
“Everyone really came together to make the changes they need to make,” she said. “Everyone was really enthusiastic, and I was really impressed with the finished product! We can only do so much in planning, and the rest of it was up to what the student body brings, and it was nice to see the student body bringing the energy and excitement with the confetti and uniforms and posters.”
Jiya Ali (’26), a member of the Philosophy Club and Indian Culture Club, felt that the Lip Dub was a great way to unify the school.
“I loved all the camaraderie; everyone had the same goal of showing off what they were proud of and being part of the Tenafly community. I loved the ending where it was just all of us jumping together in the gym. My favorite moment was when I was running to my next club and 50 other people seemed to be running as well, like we were all in the same boat. It’s also a great way to pass on the energy to the future leaders of the clubs,” Ali said.
Mr. Moger, who helped organize the media aspects of the Lip Dub, thought that this year’s Lip Dub was phenomenal.
“This might be the best one we’ve ever done! I was literally by myself in the classroom, cheering out loud when I saw how excellent the camera movements and lip syncing and the turns were; everything was just really great,” Moger said. “Everybody was so cooperative! I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I am right now with the first version of it that I watched.”
Orli Rosenstein (’26), who was not only involved in the planning of the Lip Dub but also as one of the singers for The Echo, expressed similar beliefs. “I thought the Lip Dub was a great experience and a fun way to finish senior year. I had a Lip Dub as an underclassman, so getting to have one this year was especially fun, as I got to sing and really be a part of it. It was also great to see everyone with so much school spirit. Additionally, the SO and MTV students and Mr. Moger did an amazing job of planning it,” she said.
For the underclassmen participating in their first Lip Dub, the experience was all the more exciting. Emma Chai (’28), who was a part of multiple different clubs this year, described how special the event felt.
“When I first heard about the Lip Dub, I immediately fell in love with the concept of it: it’s the acme of school spirit, where students are free to show off their own clubs, sports, and groups. Participating in it today was an entirely different experience from the videos. I sprinted across the school as soon as the cameras passed by—from starting at Acapella to Science Olympiad and finally, Debate, it was truly a unique experience,” Chai said.
Although this may be the last Lip Dub for many students, the memories that it brought to the THS community will last forever. The 2026 Lip Dub was a tremendous success, bringing together nearly 80 groups and raising school spirit. A huge thank you to the Student Organization, the MTV crew, Mr. Morrison and the staff, the custodians, and all the amazing clubs and sports teams in our school that helped make this Lip Dub a reality!
