Alpha Phi Alpha hosts Step Show (Murray State)

[TSteven]

Alpha Phi Alpha hosts Step Show (Murray State)
By Amanda Morris
Published: Thursday, March 17, 2005
The Murray State News

From blue men to Napoleon Dynamite, 10 teams participating in Alpha Step Show 2005 showcased their skills Wednesday in Lovett Auditorium.

This year's Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity-sponsored show included the three traditional divisions: fraternities, sororities and independent teams.

In the sorority division, the members of Alpha Omicron Pi took first place, beating last year's champions and the 2005 second place winner, Alpha Sigma Alpha.

Phi Mu Alpha and Sigma Alpha Iota, the only two groups to enter the independent category, placed first and second, respectively.

Members of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity placed first in the fraternity division, and Lambda Chi Alpha came in second.

"The competition was more competitive this year." John Jenkins, sophomore Alpha Sigma Phi stepper from Dixon, said. "There were much more difficult steps."

This is the third consecutive year Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity has won the event.

"It's like our dynasty." Jenkins said, acknowledging the contribution of all his fraternity brothers.

Dancing to songs like "Lean Back," "Da Dip," "One Two Step" and the "Macarena", each group performed its routine to the four judges and the audience, which nearly packed the auditorium.

The teams started preparing their routines for the annual event early in the semester, some cutting their winter breaks short to begin practicing.

Mandy Laszewski, freshman from Nashville, said the Alpha Sigma Alpha members had to go through an audition process, and practices started nearly two months prior to the show.

The step show is always well attended, and some students were standing outside Lovett two hours before the show began hoping to get a good seat in the auditorium, Laszewski said.

Although the crowd loved the routines, many members did not agree with the judges' decisions. As the winners were announced, many fans booed and walked out.

"Where I was sitting, everyone around seemed to have the same feelings as me because everyone was shocked about the winners, there were a lot of people cheering for (Alpha Gamma Delta)," Kyle Hoffman, freshman from Evansville, Ind., said.

Alpha Phi Alpha will donate the proceeds of the step show to the March of Dimes and some other charities.