NPHC Step Show brings Pan-Af Week to a close

Tiera George | Correspondent

With Pan-Afrikan week coming to a close, students, faculty, alumni, and parents gathered around as members of our National Pan-Hellenic Council graced the stage with some original stepping on Saturday, April 9 in the Talley Student Center Ballroom.

“The event delivered and surpassed my expectations, I was expecting for everyone just to step and that be the end of it, but the storylines, the host, the bridging of cultures, and the atmosphere made this somewhere I was really happy to be,” says Kendra Hairston, a sophomore majoring in accounting.

Comedian, actor, and one Kappa Alpha Psi’s very own, Deandre Corder, more commonly known as “Dukk” brought raw energy, enthusiasm, and plenty of jokes as he hosted the 46th Annual Pan-Afrikan Week step show.

From his jokes that highlighted the funniest stereotypes in Greek letter organizations to the intermission that had the crowd on their feet, Dukk managed to keep the audience engaged throughout the entirety of the show.

“We had Dukk host it, he’s a really cool guy. He was very professional, he was very funny and he knew what he was doing,” said Sharod Fenner, a senior studying Technology, Engineering and Design Education and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Fenner served as the step master for the show.

First to the stage was the Kappa Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Not only did they bring their best ties and slacks, but they brought backflips, athleticism and some phenomenal stepping.

Following the high energy performance of the Omega’s were the sisters of the Mu Xi Chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Bringing intensity and mystery as they traveled through the journey of becoming a Zeta woman, they reached their final door of womanhood after highlighting the keys of service, scholarship, sisterhood and fraternity embrace.

The lively ivies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. then stole the show with their Space Jam themed performance that sent the crowd wild as one of their own soared through the “sky” to find herself scoring the game winning shot that would ultimately lead them to a first place victory and a spot in everyone’s Snapchat story.

Last, but not least the crowd followed the rehabilitation of the men of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. as they searched for the real meaning behind their letters. Not only did they find their true purpose, but they also found a 1st place win in the Pan-Afrikan step show.

“It was very rewarding that we were able to win it. It was confirmation that hard work pays off,” said Fenner.

One of the judges, a man of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and an alumni of North Carolina State University 2015, Kelly Darden says “It was great to come back and see the lasting legacy of the Greek organizations, it was very apparent that there was lot of work put into the performance which in return contributed to the precision and the overall success of the event.”

The Pan-Afrikan Step Show was definitely one for the books, ending the week to end on a high note. With the embrace and celebration of black culture, it is safe to say that those who came out enjoyed themselves.