Mississippi State University’s National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) hosted their 30th annual Homecoming Step Show Nov. 3, a step dance competition where members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity took home the trophy for their respective categories.
Three sororities, Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Sigma Gamma Rho, and three fraternities, Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma, participated in the event, all bringing their own characteristic style to their step dance performance.
The annual step show brought out both current students and alumni alike with a nearly sold-out show in the Newell-Grissom Building. The energy was electric as people arrived in anticipation for the show. Everyone displayed a true sense of fashion. There was an unspoken rule for everyone in attendance to put on their best attire for the event.
Roderick Davis, the assistant director for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and advisor for both the NPHC and the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), reflected on the importance of the step show in its 30th year for Black culture on campus.
“Our chapters are allowed to express themselves through dance, stepping and music. This is one of the largest events for Black students at Mississippi State University and it’s also a time where we feel at home. Our homecoming is like a family reunion. It’s a time where we sit together, we laugh, we cry and we have memories that go beyond our four to five years here at Mississippi State University,” Davis said.
The judges were all members of the Divine Nine and either affiliated with MSU or the Golden Triangle Area who judged based on precision, originality, creativity, crowd participation and introduction video to their performance. 
The members of Alpha Kappa Alpha took home the trophy with their “Barbie” themed performance. For their introduction video, they portrayed each member working in their field of study or sport sending the message that, like Barbie, they can do anything they set their mind to, however, instead of being in “Barbieland,” they are in “AKAland” when they are called to the real world, donned in pink and white as an ode to both Barbie and themselves, because of the world’s dire need for sisterhood, service and scholarship.
Chapter president Camille Bohannon is a fourth-year architecture major from Jackson who reflected on the experience preparing for their performance.
“Winning the step show was literally the best feeling in the world. All our hard work and late nights led to a performance of a lifetime,” Bohannon said. “It has truly been an honor to represent the legendary Lambda Eta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated on the big stage and bring home yet another trophy. The real yard runners are back!”
The members of Kappa Alpha Psi took home the win with a “Space Jam” themed performance dressed as members of the Tune Squad with a special appearance by Bugs Bunny.
Chapter president, Darryne McDonald, a senior industrial technology major from Canton, reflected on their win.
“For the show I am very happy with my brothers for coming out and giving their all in the show,” McDonald said. “Even with our alumni brothers, we also appreciate them for always having our back win or lose. Without them we wouldn’t be who we are today, and I thank every one of them for their contribution. Overall, it was an amazing feeling be able to go out and have fun with my brothers and I will cherish that moment forever.”
The show brought out many alumni who came back to support students participating in the show and to reminisce about their time at MSU.
Breana Cunningham, who graduated in 2019, is a member of Zeta Phi Beta. She attended the homecoming step show in support of her sisters and other NPHC members.
“Coming back as an alumni is awesome because although I pledged Zeta Phi Beta, when I see people from other organizations, it feels like a family atmosphere when you come back and see the newer initiates is an awesome feeling,” Cunningham said.
Other chapters competed in the show. Members of Delta Sigma Theta competed with a show themed after them being firefighters. Sigma Gamma Rho competed with a show themed around the movie “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” with each member being dressed as different characters.
The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity’s show was themed after the movie “Karate Kid,” and the members of Phi Beta Sigma’s show was centered around the viral video of a dispute that took place in Alabama that involved a man beating another man with a folding chair.
According to Davis, the annual step show is an important aspect to Black student culture on campus, but that is not all they offer.
“What I would like to get out of homecoming is to let the student body know that our office [Fraternity and Sorority Life] is a safe space for them. They are welcome whether they are Greek or not. They are welcome to come talk with us, sit with us, eat with us and just have fun,” Davis said.

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Aniyah Mills | The Reflector

AKA sorority sister step dances.