UT Greeks stomp the yard

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think it was an event for a superstar. All the elements were there. A screaming crowd, choreographed routines, acrobatic stunts and, of course, first-class entertainment. But there were no superstars; only seven fraternities and sororities determined to take home the title of the 2009 “Stomp UT” champs.

After a year-long hiatus, on Saturday, the UT National Pan-Hellenic Council, hosted “Stomp UT,” the organization’s annual step show featuring seven historically black fraternities and sororities from UT and the surrounding areas.

The UT chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. won first place for sororities and the Michigan All-Stars Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. won first place for the fraternities and were also the overall winners of the night.

Around 1,500 people attended the event held at the Stranahan Theater. First place prize was $1000 and the runner-up received $700. The overall winning team will also host the first ice-breaker, or party of the school year. 

The night began with the singing of the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and a performance by local percussion and dance team JJ Express.

With only three performers, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., dressed in military outfits, opened the show with a boot camp theme. The UT chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. parodied “The Matrix” renaming it the “O-Matrix,” complete with trench coats and sunglasses. In typical “Que-Dog” fashion, as they are also referred to, members of the fraternity could be heard barking from the audience during the performance and throughout the night.

To enhance their performances, many of the chapters incorporated props and videos into their routines. During their performance, Omega Psi Phi used short video clips including a member of the team seeking the help of “the oracle.” The Bowling Green State University chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. began their performance with an “E! True Hollywood Story” which explained how the team was torn apart by egos and constant fighting. The fraternity also used a “Mission Impossible” theme and were given the mission to revive stepping.

The UT chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. used a medical theme as they gave audiences a glimpse into a day in the life of “Doctor Diva.” The women dressed in red and white medical scrubs as they performed mock-surgeries during their routine.

The winners of the night, Alpha Phi Alpha, used a church theme and held a “Step Revival” as they performed a mock-church service. 

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. paid homage to Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 and performed to a medley of Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 hits, including “Smooth Criminal” and “Stop the Love you Save.”

Dressed in their signature blue and white, the UT chapter of Zeta Phi Beta performed barefoot and closed the show with a sleepover theme.

Although each performance was only 15 minutes long, Aramis Parsons, co-director of the event and a junior majoring in education, said teams often practice for months in preparation for the event.

“It’s friendly competition, but it’s also very competitive,” he said.

The judges, many of whom are affiliated with Greek organizations, used a point system to rate each team. The teams are prohibited from doing anything offensive and routines cannot degrade other organizations or use profanity, said Brandon Gaddy, one of nine judges and program coordinator for the African American Student Enrichment Initiatives Office.

“We look at their creativity, the crowd reaction and the way they integrate the steps into the routine,” Gaddy said. “We judge the teams on their showmanship, their precision, and whether or not they connected with audience.”

The NPHC is the collective organization for the nine historically black fraternities and sororities, also known as the “Divine Nine.” Along with continuing the legacy and tradition set by black fraternities and sororities nearly a century ago, Parsons said the purpose of the step show was to showcase Greek life. 

“The show is fun and entertaining and we always try to do events that show Greek life in a positive way,” he said. “Everything that comes out of Greek life is always positive.”

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1 comments

MrsPhoenix

Wed Apr 1 2009 05:40

Great article, and an even greater event. Hopefully Mr. Parsons will continue to showcase local talent in future years. It would be wonderful if the talented Self Expression Teen Theater (SETT) troupe were used next year; this troupe has been in existence here in Toledo since 1986!

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