Air force ones, sticks, trashcans, stomps, claps and sweat are coming to Tennessee Tech’s campus because Alpha Phi Alpha is hosting its annual Step Show event April 10 at 7 p.m. in Derryberry Hall Auditorium.
Step Show is an event that has been hosted on Tech’s campus by Alpha Phi Alpha since 1999. It’s a philanthropy event where fraternities and sororities compete against one another by stomping and clapping in rhythm as a unit.
Last year, Alpha Phi Alpha raised thousands of dollars for the March of Dimes, an organization that helps pregnant women have full-term pregnancies and researches problems that may threaten the health of babies, like birth defects.
“We donate to different organizations every year. This year, I think we will be donating to a cancer society, because we lost a brother to cancer last year,” said Demarkcus Clark, president of Alpha Phi Alpha.
Step show tickets are being sold in Roaden University Center. Presale black tickets are $7 and presale gold tickets, which are for the after party at Vinnie T’s, are $10. After April 1, the black tickets will be $10 and the gold will be $15.
“Anyone can come,” said Clark, “we have a sellout show almost every year.”
“I can’t wait for the Step Show to come around every year; the atmosphere is awesome,” said Elliot Keas, an engineering major. “I have never seen anything like this at any other campus. It’s amazing how these girls come up with all the stomping and clapping rhythms, I don’t know how they do it.”
Alpha Phi Alpha Step Show is hosted in Derryberry Hall Audiorium, which is usually packed wall to wall with students. The upper-level of the auditorium is used for the parents to sit so they can record their kids while they perform and cheer them on without getting into the crowded seats below.
“We have been practicing since January, but we had tryouts in December before finals. We are super hard working,” said Emily McCracken, Step Show coach for Phi Mu. “Our routine is about 12 minutes long, give or take for some cheering.”
Last year’s winners of Step Show were Alpha Delta Pi. Delta Gamma and Phi Mu tied for second, while Kappa Delta placed third.
“It’s a competitive philanthropy and there are a lot of good girls up there competing for a good cause,” said Kelle Robinson, a two-year stepper from Delta Gamma. “Its nerve wracking performing in front of all those people, but it normally goes away after performing the first step.”
Judges for Step Show are to be announced but will judge for unity, sharpness, attitude, intensity, routine, time and overall performance.
“The intensity of it and the performance is my favorite part of Step Show,” said Molly Campbell, a two-year stepper from Alpha Delta Pi. “It seems crazy to put all this hard work for only minutes onstage, but it’s all worth it once you’re performing in front of everyone. We have put in a lot of practice and are really hoping our hard work pays off.”