All 15 groups perform for the first cuts and will be narrowed down to only eight for the second cuts.
Members of the “Adventures of Sharkboy, Lavagirl, and CY” Yell Like Hell group perform during the Yell Like Hell First Cuts on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
Second cuts thin out the eight competitors to three finalists that will perform the Friday night before the homecoming game against Kansas University. The groups show off their painted costumes accompanying their skit theme.
Members of the “Circus in CYtown” Yell Like Hell group perform during the Yell Like Hell Second Cuts on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
Painting takes hours to finish. The “Adventures of Sharkboy, Lavagirl, and CY” Yell Like Hell group was one of the three finalists selected to perform on Friday night and began the process around five hours before they went onto the stage. Acrylic paint is used, not body paint.
Members of the “Adventures of Sharkboy, Lavagirl, and CY” Yell Like Hell group paint their faces before the Yell Like Hell finals on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house in Ames, Iowa.
The final performances are done on a stage outside the Alumni Center during the homecoming Pep Rally. The winner will be announced later in the evening during the homecoming Awards Ceremony near the Campanile on the central campus.
Co-chairs of the “Adventures of Sharkboy, Lavagirl, and CY” Yell Like Hell group brief the group members before their final performance at the homecoming Pep Rally on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, outside the Alumni Center in Ames, Iowa.
At the awards ceremony, it was announced that third place was “Prince CY & Cinderella,” second place was “Battle of the Birds: CY vs Big Jay,” and first place was “Adventures of Sharkboy, Lavagirl, and CY,” made up of members from Sigma Kappa, Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
The co-chairs of the “Adventures of Sharkboy, Lavagirl, and CY” Yell Like Hell group celebrate their first-place win in the Yell Like Hell competition on stage during the Homecoming Awards Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
“We’re going to blow the judges away today,” Phil Paulson, a member of Beta Theta Pi and co-chair of the “Adventures of Sharkboy, Lavagirl, and CY,” Yell Like Hell Group, said earlier during an interview. “This is going to be a winning performance.”