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As members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) awaited the winner of this year’s Greek Unity Fest step show on Saturday, classic ‘90s hits echoed through Schine’s Goldstein Auditorium. After their chapter was called, members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority raced to the stage to accept their trophy.

“The level of community and togetherness that it took to organize this weekend was really special,” said Niara McIntyre, NPHC’s president. “I am so proud of my council for coming together to put on these really important events.”

The NPHC consists of nine historically Black International Greek letter Sororities and Fraternities. Every year, NPHC puts on Greek Unity Fest, a weekend-long showcase of Black Greek life meant to bridge the gap between students and faculty, McIntyre said. This year, Greek Unity Fest consisted of two events: a performance from rapper Lola Brooke on Friday and a step show on Saturday.

While the Greek Unity Fest previously only featured one organized event — either a concert or step show — this past weekend was McIntyre’s first since joining the NPHC in 2022 that featured both events. She attributed the change to the “reactivation and continued intake” of certain chapters.

“The commitment from these nine organizations made it a lot easier to put on these two events,” McIntyre said. “Having more people become involved in these organizations means they become stronger, and Greek Unity Fest was truly an all-hands-on-deck effort.”

Saturday’s “A School Daze Step Show” was themed after the 1988 film of the same name with acts incorporating music and other movies from the era throughout their performance. Each participating organization performed a stepping routine, a form of dance popularized in the 1960s that combines traditional African dancing with, among other elements, tap and cheerleading.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Editor

Sophomore Zari Heron, who represented the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority in the competition, said her team practiced their routine for weeks to make sure it fit well with the compeititon’s theme and highlighted the talents of each member.

“We have done a lot of preparing to figure out how we can best show off our organization, and decided to base our routine off of the movie ‘Friday,’” Heron said. “We tried to incorporate all the different aspects of Black culture within our performance.”

SU’s first Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, performed a dance inspired by the 1995 movie “Clueless,” senior Mia-Marie Fields said. It was her first time participating in the Greek Unity Fest.

“I think we are setting the tone for what step shows really look like and spreading awareness about the beautiful part of step shows,” Fields said. “A lot of people don’t know about the sacredness behind stepping. The NPHC is anciently rooted in this tradition, so it means a lot to be part of it.”

The step show also served as an opportunity for alumni to return to campus and reunite with their sororities and fraternities. The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary at SU this year, concluded their performance by inviting current and past members of their organization to the stage to participate in their last dance sequence.

Joe Zhao | Assistant Photo Editor

The performance by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority pushed the NPHC Step Show to a new climax.

Brooke, whose 2021 song “Don’t Play With It” with Billy B went viral on TikTok this year, performed on the same stage the night before. Members of the NPHC organizations, as well as other SU students, filled Goldstein in anticipation of the Greek Unity Fest’s kick-off event.

“Any time we bring in an artist it’s really just about who will connect most with the people,” McIntyre said. “Brooke has good energy and is very lively. We thought she would be a really fun choice.”

Heron said Greek Unity Fest gives the NPHC the opportunity to show off their work, such as hosting raffle events and karaoke nights to raise money and promote awareness about the council.

“Coming to a predominantly white institution, it is important for us to show that there are other councils and other Greek organizations on campus,” Heron said. “This is a really important part of our culture, and the university should be able to recognize what we do.”

Published on April 14, 2024 at 9:56 pm