After a semester of practice and dedication, the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Alpha Eta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. claimed their victories at The FAMU National Pan Hellenic Council presents “Stomp The Hill” Homecoming Greek Step Show 2007. The event was held Saturday at the Leon County Civic Center.
Derek “Farnsworth Bentley” Watkins, rapper and former personal assistant for music mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, hosted the show. “I’ve been to seven homecomings and don’t nobody party like FAMU,” Bentley said.
“When we finished, we felt that we did a pretty good job and that we executed well. From the beginning all the way to the end the audience really enjoyed us,” said Primesha McGirt, 22, a fifth-year pharmacy candidate from Ft. Lauderdale and Deltas step team member.
Some judges said deciding the winners was a difficult task.
“It was a tough decision,” said Louis Dilbert, one of the judges for the show. “It (the judging process) is subjective. Dilbert based his comments on the level of experience a judge may have with stepping. “When you’re undergrad, you usually have the experience of stepping in a show or watching people step,” he said, as opposed to some judges who may not have joined during their undergraduate years.
The Sigmas, whose show’s theme centered around the film “Harlem Nights,” said they stayed positive throughout the performance.
Will Smith, 23, a senior agricultural technology student and step master for the Sigmas, acknowledged the fierce competition.
“The show was tight, but you’ve got to have confidence that it’s going to come out right in the end,” Smith said. “We won a few step shows before and now we’re back,” Smith said.
Dibert also explained that each performance is based off a point system with specific categories. They include entrance and exit, appearance, creativity, precision, difficulty, oral presentation originality, audience participation and the overall performance. He notes that there is a slight emphasis on originality, precision and difficulty of the routine.
The Beta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Beta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. both received second place awards for their routines.
“I believe the outcome was hard, but fair,” said Cyrah Hawkins, 23-year old member of the Epsilon Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi.
For Ramone Scott, 19, a freshman pre-pharmacy student from Tampa, some of the results came as a surprise.
“I was rooting for the Alphas, but I really thought the Ques would win,” Scott said. “The Sigmas did good, but I didn’t expect them to win.”
Dion Peeples, 19, a sophomore business administration student from Jacksonville said that he enjoyed the show and looks forward to next year’s show.
“The people that won deserved it … I’m sure that next year those that were in second place will be trying to take first-place next year,” Peeples said.
“You could tell the amount of work that everyone put into the show.”
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