University | 9:12 pm | February 12, 2013 | By Emma Goldberg

Yale does the Harlem Shake

SigEp busts a dance move.
SigEp busts a dance move. Photo by YouTube.

If you’re looking to get Smooch’d this Valentine’s Day, you may just have to learn the Harlem Shake.

As part of an advertising effort for their Valentine’s Day party, the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon have created their own version of the Harlem Shake. Though not officially authorized by the fraternity, the video — filmed by Andrew Goble ’15 — features more than a dozen SigEp fraternity brothers enjoying 37 seconds of pure madness, a fabulous yellow onesie and some pretty questionable dance moves.

Let’s take a closer look at said moves. Vying for the spotlight, one SigEp brother rides a pink flamingo, another rubs his chest with an iron while a third repeatedly smashes a bottle into his head. Are these the moves we’re expected to bring to the dance floor at Elevate this Thursday? It’s questionable.

But be careful who you smooch on V-Day, because we hear that Harlem Shake fever at Yale has become pretty contagious.

This afternoon, freshmen in Jonathan Edwards took advantage of Yale’s second snow day and created their own version entitled the Farnam Shake. The video was the brainchild of Louis Metcalfe ’16, who posted in the JE Facebook group asking students to dress up in costumes and convene in the library. It opens on nine students innocently doing their homework, until their study room is overtaken by masses of gyrating freshmen wrapped in capes and even dancing on top of the bookshelves.

Morse decided to get in on the action as well, with Morse suite C32 releasing their own version of the Shake sans crazy dance moves. Perhaps making an ode to snow day chilling, the video begins with David Pitera ’15 doing the Harlem Shake, until he decides to stop and join his friends in lounging and playing video games.

Unofficially dubbed the new “Gangnam Style,” the Harlem Shake craze is taking over campus. Look out, Toad’s dance floor: This Wednesday, you won’t even know what hit you.

The SigEp Shake:

Update Feb. 13: This video has been removed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvBabdqKxIo

The Farnam Shake:

Morse C32 Shake:

The crew team shake:

The Zeta Psi pledge shake:

The Yale SOM shake:

Yale Med/Nursing shake:

Clarification: Feb. 13, 2013

Though the SigEp Harlem Shake video features students in the fraternity and was advertising a fraternity event, it was not officially authorized by the fraternity.

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