The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) celebrated their annual Homecoming Step Show tradition on Friday, Oct. 13.
The Step Show, a competition between the University of Kentucky’s African American Fraternities and Sororities, is a dance, skit and stepping competition.
The event began with music pouring out of the UK’s Gatton Student Center Ballroom and the two hosts coming on stage to briefly introduce the event and explain what the audience can expect from the performance.
“I consist it into three words: culture, community and celebration. It is an annual cultural event but also a fundraiser for our NPHC, also known as the ‘Divine 9.’ Culturally significant things within our organization are stepping, strolling, and calls,” said Uriah Carter, National Panhellenic Council Advisor of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Carter defined stepping as “using your body to make great sounds, great beats, to be cohesive and be of one band, one sound” and “the epitome of unity in a physical presence.”
Carter is a graduate of UK and was inducted as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in fall of 2015. She has a long history with Step Show, starting as a participant and now working in a significant organizational role.
“Through this showcase of stepping routines, adding in some creativity with skits and videos, it’s just a way to showcase our talents of our students as well as fundraise for the year so we can continue to do the great programmatic efforts related to community, scholarships and service,” Carter said.
Sheridan King, senior president of the Iota Sigma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., said she loves having the opportunity to perform with her sisters.
“We’re just enjoying ourselves at the end of the day through our sisterhood and supporting one another. Step Show is a time where we all kind of just come together for friendly competition, just kind of showing the history within our organization and stepping, and continuing to keep that thing within our culture of the NPHC of stepping,” King said.
Junior Neysie Caldwell and senior Alisha Ward attended Step Show last year and said they came again for the routines, friends and environment.
“I think it’s a good experience, it’s also great for inclusivity of different demographics other than the predominantly white institutions so it really does help to shed light on the African-American culture and the Greek organizations,” Caldwell said. “I recommend everybody experience it.”
The ballroom was packed with family members, friends and UK students waiting to watch the performances.
“It’s just one of those things where you have to experience it one time and then afterwards you can understand what it’s about, there’s not really words for it,” Ward said.
Former UK football player and 1973 graduate Emmett “Buzz” Burnam attended this year’s Step Show.
Burnam was excited to see the new routines and support his alma mater fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi.
“I love it when the Kappa’s win, but the Step Show again shows all the camaraderie amongst the Greeks, there’s no losers because everyone comes together and it’s a good time. It’s a great time,” Burnam said.
Burnam retired from UK after 42 years of holding the position of undergraduate director of minority recruitment.
After the performances, the judges decided on the winning routine, awarding them with several prizes.
The Mu Epsilon Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and the Mu Theta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. were the winners of the 2023 Step Show.
“Most importantly, a trophy is the great thing, but we have a winner for fraternities and sororities, we have eight of the nine chapters here, and there’s a $500 cash prize each,” Carter said. “We get a lovely trophy, bragging rights for the year, but honestly it’s just a great way to be like, ‘Hey, you worked hard, you entertained each other,’ and most of the time people don’t remember whether they win or lose, but they remember just the fun that they had.”
