CIU houses show their competitive spirit in annual House Throwdown

Excitement buzzed in the air of Hoke Auditorium as students and a few alumni sat with their houses (dorms) and prepared to battle it out on stage for a victory won through songs, dances and skits. The annual House Throwdown event at CIU is one of the most anticipated events of the House Collective, a year-long competition between the seven residential houses for the coveted House Cup. 

The show began with a performance by Dignitas, the House of Dignity, showcasing their house mascot, Dingle, the bird of dignity. Their skit told a story through poetic verse of Dingle’s troubled past and finding both dignity and a loving community in the house of Dignitas. 

Next on the stage was Fidelitas, the House of Faithfulness, with a peek into the deep bonds formed through their inviting atmosphere and open-door policy. They ended their performance with the entire house joining them on stage and dancing a choreographed routine to the classic Toy Story tune, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”

One of the Fidelitas performers, off-campus student Naomi Klausli, said that even though she became a commuter, her house still provides her with strong, faithful friends.

“I go home to sleep at night but I still feel like a part of the Fidelitas family,” Klausli said. 

The next performers were from Virtus, House of Valor, who demonstrated valor through their approach to godly dating. In a skit, one resident used training through prayer and daily Bible reading to gain the valor to ask out his favorite girl. The grand finale was a pirate battle for the girl, and, of course, a victory which proved his valor and won him his date.

Aequitas, the House of Equity, donned circus clothes and presented their house’s large variety of talents as though a circus show. From weightlifting to magic tricks to roller skating, the residents of Aequitas showed the student body that they were full of talent and hype for their house. 

Sapienta, the House of Wisdom, parodied Monty Python in their alternate “CIU Origin Story.” They tackled all of the obstacles in their path using wisdom and were able to reach the Holy Grail, staking their claim on the land which would eventually become CIU. 

Jess North, an RA of Veritas, the House of Truth, said “the point of Throwdown is for everyone to come together and make a really meaningful skit.” Veritas gave a powerful message about truth and the harm that the lies of the world can cause, emphasizing how truth could be found in God’s Word alone. 

Justitia, the House of Justice, completed the event with their retelling of the story of a group of missionaries who fought off a lion and shared the gospel to an unreached tribe in Africa, ending with a celebration through song and dance to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

As the event drew to a close, audience members voted on their favorite performance, and Virtus won the vote. But this was not the final decision.  

Students then eagerly waited for the results from the judges. After a long period of deliberation, the judges awarded third place to Dignitas, second place to Veritas, and first place to Fidelitas!

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