Frats and sororities dance for charity as ‘Heroes and Villains’
The dimly lit ballroom was filled with loud cheers and applause as figures wearing glow-in-the-dark jackets chanted, moved in synchrony and stomped in rhythm on the wooden stage, which echoed throughout the room. These are the men of Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural fraternity.
The 11th annual Step Show with its theme, “Heroes and Villains,” is an event jointly hosted by Theta Nu Xi and Psi Sigma Phi to bring together organizations to showcase step routines. A step routine is a dance made up of rhythmic hand claps, stomps and chants with music added to it, Kaho Fiefia, a senior majoring in marketing and president of Psi Sigma Phi. said.
“It’s something that has been done as part of Greek organizations back east where our organizations originated from,” Fiefia said. “It is the biggest Greek event that happens (at USU). We have more people attend this event than any other Greek event, and we raise the most money for our philanthropies.”
Theta Nu Xi will donate proceeds to Girls For A Change. Fiefia said a portion of the money will benefit a USU student who must undergo a lung transplant. The remainder of the money raised will be donated by Psi Sigma Phi to the Multicultural Center of Cache Valley.
Organizations and clubs that performed during the event included Vilociti, Sigma Chi, Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Delta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Sigma Phi, the Black Student Union, Psi Sigma Phi and Theta Nu Xi. Fiefia said the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity could not perform this year because of its suspension, although its members have performed in previous years.
Benjamin Gary Rasmussen, a junior majoring in finance and economics and president of new fraternity Alpha Tau Omega, received the most applause from the audience at the end of the dance off.
Rasmussen said fraternity members worked on a routine in preparation for the Step Show, but some members couldn’t perform. However, he said, they will perform at next year’s show.
“People can expect a fraternity that’s colonized and ready to go and be part of the Greek community,” Rasmussen said.
Fiefia said the event used to be a competition, but participants became too competitive, so organizers decided to alter the way it was done.
“So we changed it to a showcase where we wanted people to still feel like it was competitive in the sense that they want to be better than the other groups, but we didn’t give out an award, because then people will get angry at the judges or for other little things.”
Sigma Phi Epsilon member Garrett Erickson, a junior majoring in marketing and Spanish, said his group practiced more than three days to prepare. He said they had to correct many problems while practicing. His group’s theme was Joker, from Batman.
Alpha Chi Omega member Kylie Martinez, a senior majoring in public relations, said initially her sorority decided on Superman as its theme but later changed to Hercules.
“We didn’t want to go completely Hercules – all Greek mythology and stuff like that – so we are just wearing some black shorts and dark shoes,” she said. “We have some shirts designed for us, and it’s just our letters on the front with a lightning bolt down it for Hercules, and it has ‘Step Show’ on it to basically represent this year.”
First time steppers from Vilociti dance company performed their soldier theme, wearing camouflage pants, combat boots and white tank tops.
Sigma Chi chose a cowboy theme, and Superman was the theme chosen by Kappa Delta. Kappa Delta sorority President Kayleigh Shaughnessy, a junior majoring in exercise science, said her group incorporated the sorority’s history, symbols and sisterhood in its chants to reveal fun facts about the sorority. They also invited Kappa Delta’s favorite man, also known as the “Daggerman,” to perform with them.
“It’s really fun to build our sisterhood as well as building unity with other chapters,” she said.
Psi Sigma Phi also dedicated a step routine to Trayvon Martin, who was recently shot and killed in Florida. At the end of the show, Theta Nu Xi’s new members were revealed when they removed the masks they wore during their step routine.
Laurel Lynn Humble, a sophomore majoring in professional writing, said she’d never felt better than when she was revealed as a new member of Theta Nu Xi. Humble went through the recruitment process for both the National Panhellenic Conference and the National Multicultural Greek Council and said both process are significantly different.
“With the National Panhellenic Conference, you meet the girls, you’re in it, you learn about it, then you go through ritual,” she said. “With the National Multicultural Greek Council, it’s almost the opposite of that. You get to know the girls first, then you go through the intake process, and then people don’t find out you’re in it until you emerge.”
Although the show went longer than expected, Daryn Frischknecht, a sophomore majoring in marketing who attended last year’s Step Show, said Psi Sigma Phi’s step routine was her favorite because the group seemed most prepared and did a great job.
“This year is a lot better,” she said. “The sororities and fraternities were better prepared this year.”
Phyllis Shaughnessy, Kayleigh Shaugnessy’s mother, said this is the first time she’s attended the event.
“These groups are very united, and they’ve got some very strong bonds. It’s fun to see them working together on such an interesting project,” she said.
Adrienne Bingham, a freshman majoring in business, said she’s planning to come a
gain to year’s event.
“This is awesome,” Bingham said. “Those people who might have negative outlooks on Greeks, I think they just have to give them a chance. That (Step Show) would be a great way to get to know what the Greek is all about.”
– nadiah.johari@aggiemail.usu.edu