By Keir Bristol
People from all around Boston came to see Step Fest 2008 held in Matthews Arena Saturday afternoon. The show featured two sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta, as well as three fraternities, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi and Phi Beta Sigma. Alumni of the Greek organizations were also present.
Step Fest 2008 was one of the many events that collectively made up the John D. O’Bryant African-American Institute’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and Black Alumni Reunion. It was organized by Northeastern’s Iota Gamma Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority was founded in 1908 and also celebrated “100 years of service” with the event.
At Step Fest, African-American fraternities and sororities came together and put on a show for Boston community members, displaying precision, organization, attitude and their respective histories in the routines. Many put together drills in which they yelled out when and where they were established.
The groups competed and were judged by a panel of mostly student judges. The winners of Step Fest 2008 were the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
Richard O’Bryant, director of the African-American Institute, said many African-American Greek organizations started on historically black college campuses in the early 1900s. Step Fest and other similar shows have been around for many years.
“What’s great about it is that it’s not just targeted toward Northeastern students, but folks in the community come out and have a good time, so it bridges the gap between the university and the community,” O’Bryant said.
The show proved a hit among students and non-students.
“I think the community loved it. I think Northeastern students loved it,” said Tawana Hinch, a senior pharmacy major and a member of the Iota Gamma Chapter. “The step show is always a positive way for Greeks to come together and show what we do.”
The fraternities and sororities emerged in matching outfits, including heels for the girls.
“Some of you guys can’t even walk in heels!” said host Joe Clair, comedian and previous host of BET’s Rap City. “They step in heels!”
Each group of Greeks put together a routine, often incorporating a theme from popular culture. The Phi Beta Sigma fraternity used the movie “I Am Legend” as a theme. A brother dressed up as Robert Neville, the character played by Will Smith in the film, and compared the other fraternities to mutants who needed a cure.
The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity used canes in their routine, and the Delta Sigma Theta sorority’s performance was based on a game show featuring Barbie vs. Delta. The “Barbie” argued that the Delta set the standards for other women too high, and that in order to keep up she would have to “actually make a difference.”
O’Bryant said some of the money earned from the tickets covered the expenses for security and reserving Matthews Arena. However, Step Fest is also a way to raise money for the scholarships sororities and fraternities provide students, and to encourage youths to further their education.
“A lot of it is to get the younger kids in the audience to say ‘I want to be like that,’ but in order to be like that, you have to go to college,” Hinch said.
Senior Joanne Memnon, a music and business administration major, opened the show with “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Special guest performances included Slick Rick the Ruler and Doug E. Fresh. Upon arrival, Slick Rick said he represented the “old school” and incorporated the crowd into an old school vs. new school contest. The DJ played both old school and new school hip hop to see how the audience would react.
“It’s the first [Step Fest] I’ve come to after all these years, and I’m glad I made it out,” said senior African-American studies and music industry major Devin Phillips.
Many students, like freshman communication studies major Yvonne Wilkins, said the stepping was their favorite part.
Jamil Young, a senior art + design major, said Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh “did their thing” and that Northeastern did a good job putting the show together.
