The National Pan-Hellenic Council’s homecoming stepshow brings years of tradition, talent and creativity together through stepping tonight at the Humphrey Coliseum.
The show was originally scheduled for Saturday, but with the Homecoming football game pushed back to 6 p.m. Saturday, they had to move the show to Friday, said assistant director of the student life Cedric Gathings.
“A lot of the student organizations are concerned that some of their alumni may not be able to make it. I’m being optimistic. I’m anticipating a good crowd,” Gathings said.
The groups will be judged based on appearance, crowd appeal, originality, precision, introduction and exit, enthusiasm, vocal clarity and the overall presentation of their show, he said.
“[Stepping is] a creative and unique form of artistic and musical entertainment,” Gathings said.
The homecoming stepshow is a good way for NPHC students to showcase their stepping talent, he said.
“It’s a way for people to see, for the community [and] alumni to see, the students outside the classroom. This is a good social event,” Gathings said.
The organizations put time into picking a theme for their show and using their creative spark into their step, he said.
“A lot of alums are expecting their respective organization to be the best,” Gathings said.
Seven of the eight NPHC fraternities and sororities will be participating in the stepshow. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority won last year, he said.
“We will have groups this year as small as three participating and some as large as up to 15 on-stage,” Gathings said.
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity will not be participating due to low membership, he said.
“If it wasn’t for membership they would be participating,” Gathings said.
The winning fraternity or sorority will win $1,000, second place gets $500 and third gets $200. The organizations use this prize money to offset dues and help pay for community service projects, he said.
Phi Beta Sigma member Courtney Pass said the stepshow is a friendly competition between the NPHC fraternities and sororities.
“Whoever wins gets the bragging rights for the year. That’s really why we practice so hard, so we get the bragging rights,” Pass said.
The groups take the show seriously and have long, late nights practicing, he said.
“We’ve been practicing for months, ever since school started,” Alpha Phi Alpha member Luther McCray said.
His fraternity has practiced three times a week for at least two hours a night with six people participating in the stepshow, he said. The theme for their show, just like every other organization’s show is classified, he said.
“Everything’s going pretty well. We’ve got some last minute paranoia,” McCray said.
He said tickets have been selling well and he hopes they sell at least as many as last year.
Last year over 1,000 tickets were sold for the show, Gathings said.
Money raised by the stepshow will cover the costs incurred by the show, but also community service projects done by NPHC students, he said.
“Stepping is one quality that the NPHC students bring, but they do more than that in the community,” Gathings said.
The students do service projects ranging from buying school supplies for elementary schools, to buying food for families around Thanksgiving and adopting kids during the Christmas holidays, he said.
Tickets for the show are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. The stepshow will be tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Humphrey Coliseum.
For more information about the stepshow or the National Panhellenic Council, visit msstatenphc.com.