Behind The Scenes
Northern Kentucky University’s annual Step Up Show took over Regents Hall Friday night with high-energy performances, bold choreography and a powerful celebration of student talent and campus spirit. The event brought together students, alumni and community members to showcase the stepping skills of current National Pan-Hellenic Council members at NKU.
Greg Moore, director of First Generation Student Initiatives, but serving as an advising member of Alpha Kappa Psi at the show, said that he played a huge role behind the scenes in helping the event come to life. He said it is more than a show.
“This specific event is always special, especially during Black History Month, because it gives us an opportunity to really pay homage to our founders, our history and the contributions in society,” Moore said.
“This event also provides a sense of hope, and even watching how the students worked when it came to rehearsals, to practicing, to connecting and even reaching out to people from outside of NKU, it was really amazing to see,” Moore said.
Performances
The performances consisted of Alpha Phi Alpha (Rho Gamma Chapter), Alpha Kappa Alpha (Sigma Eta Chapter), Kappa Alpha Psi (Pi Pi Chapter), Zeta Phi Beta (Alpha Rho Chapter) and lastly Sigma Gamma Rho (Rho Chi Chapter). NPHC students performing at the Step Up Show were judged on three things: conciseness, creativity and crowd interaction, according to judge Shabba Thomas, an alumni member of Theta Alpha.
“I would describe a step up show as a group of NPHC individuals coming together to do a performance,” Thomas said. “It’s very similar to when cheerleaders do performances, where they do stunts, but this time a step-up show is judged on how good your music is, how well you come together, stunts, choreography, but that’s pretty much the basics of what it is; it truly is so much more.“All of the organizations did a great job; they all stood out in their own unique ways, and the crowd loved every bit of it. It truly was an honor to be a judge this year.”
The winners of NKU’s annual Step Up Show were the Rho Chi chapter, also known on campus as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. Thomas said that these ladies stood out for many reasons.
“I really liked their energy,” Thomas said. “I think they’re all a group of lovely ladies. They are all so sweet, and I think their theme stood out because it’s a very popular theme. “Princess and the Frog” is a theme and movie that everyone knows and can enjoy.”
Breana Poku-Sarkodee, member of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority (also on the winning team), had a lot to say about the process.
“The overall practice experience was the best part,” she said. “We started practicing in December and from there, we began to form ideas of how we wanted our performance to look and feel. Over time, our ideas turned into something real. We would practice at least three days a week, which gave us a lot of discipline in making sure we followed our practice schedule.”
The Winning Feeling
“Winning was seriously the best feeling. Knowing that our hard work and dedication to this step show was not for nothing made me so emotional. I ended up crying on stage the moment our sorority was announced as the first-place winners,” said Poku-Sarkodee. “Standing on that stage with my sisters, knowing we took this win together, filled me with so much pride and gratitude.”
While the excitement of winning was an emotional high, Poku-Sarkodee emphasized that the impact of the Step Up Show went far beyond taking home first place.
“This experience means more to me than just winning,” she said. “Our NPHC here at NKU dedicated so much time to this step show, and each and every organization that performed should be proud of what they put out on that stage. This experience reminded me why I chose my organization and how special it is to have such a beautiful sisterhood and community. This is an accomplishment I will be able to carry on with me long after the performance.”
Lasting Impact
J.B. Cowan, the current NPHC President, addressed the crowd before the winners were announced, delivering a message that resonated deeply and left a lasting impression on the audience.
“Everything our ancestors and organizations fought for should not be done away with and today we see minority groups and communities that are under attack. Which are being threatened by the current administration, in times like this, it’s easy to lose hope. But we must continue to push back and rise above hate. Please make sure you are engaged with current events, continue to support organizations like NPHC and most importantly, vote! Vote in your federal, state and local elections to make a difference because together, we are the driving force of change, thank you,” Cowan said.
Students, Alumni, staff, community members and many more erupted into cheers and applause not only because of the event but also because of the lasting words of J.B Cowan.