Black fraternities and sororities step up with step show

Black Greek fraternities and sororities gathered at Shryock Auditorium on Saturday, Oct. 14 for the annual Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Homecoming Step Show. 

Jashuan Murray, a second-year student and co-host of the show, announced each performance would be judged on various things such as style and performance. He also announced that the winner would win $1,000. 

Alpha Phi Alpha decided to do a performance to get the crowd excited. After that, Grace Gunn, the other host, announced the Saluki Shakers as the first to perform for the contest.

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Lia Khan, a third-year student and member of the Saluki Shakers, said the team being able to open up for the step show is a new thing for them.

“I feel like we just get to connect with a different part of campus that we don’t usually connect with,” she said.

Khan said students would enjoy the fact they are doing a new routine that has more of a hip-hop beat to it.

After the Saluki Shakers went on, a moment of silence was held for first-year student Keeshanna Jackson, who passed away last year. Gunn said, as Black college students, it is important to experience and have fun at college, but students also need to remember we are a community and we need to look out for each other.

The Miss Ebonness court was introduced to the audience and Alpha Phi Alpha performed again. To get the crowd more excited, Gunn and Murray had the crowd put the letter E or V up, to see if they were supporting Vanity Fashion Fair Models or Essence Fashion Models, the Vanity Models performed first. 

After Vanity went on Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. performed. The president of Sigma Gamma Rho, Briyanna Robinson, said participating in this year’s step show was essentially reintroducing SIU to the group. Robinson said when Black Greek Organizations host events like these it shows other Black students SIU is a community.

Dynasty Dance, Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s first Black majorette team went up and performed their routine. Essence Fashion Models was up next.

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Gunn announced to the audience that the annual Ebony Ball will be coming up on March 25 and encouraged people to come out and support.

Before the winner was announced, different fraternities and sororities such as Omega Psi Phi, Zeta Phi Beta, and Alpha Kappa Alpha, came up on stage to perform to get the crowd revved up.

At the end of the night, the winner was Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.

“The energy is unmatched, because it only happens once a year,” Khan said. “It’s really good vibes all around. It’s very entertaining, and there’s a lot of talent and a lot of work that goes into this show.” 

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