Sororities and fraternities vied for the coveted position of first place Saturday, Oct 9, in the Greek Step Show Competition.

Zeta Phi Beta took first place honors among sororities, defending their last year’s title as reigning champs.

Omega Psi Phi took the honor of first place among fraternities, each dazzling the audience with variations of step and stomp, along with dance moves and humor as well.

Entertainment for the night was not only the competition, but two high schools from Memphis who performed in exhibition, and a rap group from Miami performed as well.

The competition was late starting, so members of the audience entertained the crowd as a quasi pre-show. All combined together to make the evening fun, entertaining and memorable.

Alison LaBarre of the University of Memphis was in town for the festivities to support her boyfriend, Robert Clay, an English major senior who was competing in the competition for Omega Psi Phi.

“He’s been working real hard,” LaBarre said. “They have been scheduling times to be in here to practice. He’s excited and has been looking forward to it.”

The show started late; however, people were still spilling into the auditorium. While the audience waited, some guys from the audience entertained them in a quasi pre-show.

The first to take the stage was the first high school that came from Memphis to compete. They were dressed in pink and black and demonstrated with expertise their version of stomp.

Then Alpha Kappa Alpha took the stage, being the first sorority in competition.

Theirs was an escape convict theme, “Be on the look out for the ladies in pink from Alpha Kappa Alpha.”

The announcer said. “Please report it immediately or they will steal the show.” They used humor and talent in a skit form to demonstrate their expertise.

Judges Julia Cubie, Darryl Anthony Anderson, Sr., Christina Anderson, Keisha Beatty, Lelitias Levy Portan and Randy Erving were introduced while the next group prepared to take the stage.

The second sorority to compete was Zeta Phi Beta, who wooed the audience with their baseball theme.

The skit began when a little girl was in the yard playing baseball and her grandmother came out, telling her of the “good old days” when she and her sorority sisters started a baseball league in 1927.

Hence, a flashback ensued to 1927 when grandma was young. Scenes depicted were of the ladies in the field, playing the sport as well as sitting in the dug out, listening to the coach, after which the ladies erupted in a stomp routine using the chairs, dancing on the chairs and stomping with them as well, bringing down the house.

Two after-parties were announced, with instructions to drive and drink responsibly.

The rap group MSC was next to take the stage and entertain the audience, while ladies and gentlemen in the audience danced in the aisles, singing just one song.

There were many giveaways that included t-shirts and candy. The guys were next to take the stage, with Omega Psi Phi being the first fraternity to compete.

Theirs was a routine in front of a house, dressed in purple and black, with purple and yellow lights and decorations.

In the middle of their routine, they donned white gloves and continued into the next segment of their routine with a flashing, black light strobe.

The effect was spectacular.

The gentlemen finished the segment off with singing and one gentleman completing a double back flip. They also brought down the house.

Next was an impromptu free style “rap off” competition between two unsuspecting audience members.

The first lady sat back down when she found out what was expected of her and another female volunteer approached the stage, encourage by her sorority sisters.

The lady smoked her male counterpart and winning over the audience, who voted her the winner in a unanimous vote.

The fraternity Phi Beta Sigma took the stage in competition next. A big, gigantic jam box designed and created by the fraternity was set on the stage, looking very authentic.

When the music began, two men came out of the speakers, then the rest of the gentlemen in the group.

They were the music in their skit, a very ingenious and unique idea. During the course of their routine, they turned the dial to find music and danced, and stomped, to whatever came on, proving to add a bit of humor to their routine, especially when a slow song came on, then break dancing music.

At one point during the course of their routine, one gentleman said, “Wait a minute!” then approached the giant jam box, opened up the cassette door and flipped over the also giant cassette tape, which also brought down the house.

Another visiting high school from Memphis took the stage next, beginning their routine in a simulated rain storm.

They then threw off their raincoats to reveal pink and blue shirts with black pants, continuing their routine with their version of stomp.

Then another fraternity announced that they “would not stomp tonight due to lack of competition.” Then the finalists were announced.

Ashley Armstrong, an Athletic Training junior said, “I enjoyed it.” And she said that she was happy with the outcome.

“It was long, but it was good,” said LaBarre after the competition. “But I’m glad I came up for it.”

The evening soon came to an end with both fraternities and sororities dancing in the isles, celebrating their victories.

The evening was both entertaining and exhilarating, with each fraternity or sorority demonstrating their brand of stomp and humor, presenting a friendly, yet competitive competition filled with expertise and knowledge.