Nicole Sanders | Reporter
Feb. 19, 2016, 12 p.m.
Traditional Greek chants and howls vibrantly echoed in Butler Loft to hype the crowd up who were already dancing and dabbing in their seats. There was no doubt that members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, often referred to as the “Divine Nine,” were in the building. With cell phones in hand, students, friends and family members were shoulder to shoulder anxious to watch and record their favorite fraternity or sorority to hit the stage.
LU’s Yard Show, presented by the university’s Omicron Sigma chapter, was a celebration of the different organizations’ cultural traditions. Eight of the NPHC, nine historically African American sororities and fraternities, were present on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m, including Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho and Phi Beta Sigma.
Although only nine LU students are members of the Greek organizations, city-wide members from local universities like University of Missouri – St. Louis, St. Louis University and Washington University came to give Lindenwood a peak into their worlds.
“The showcase is an introduction of the Greek Organization [to] give a quick spiel about who we are, where we charter at and where we were founded at,” said A.J. Chappelle, Omega Psi Phi member and yard show host, describing the concept behind the yard show. “It’s accompanied by a typical step or stroll.”
The audacious ladies of Delta Sigma Theta kept the crowd entertained with their fierce attitude, bright red uniform and their stepping, a footwork based dance style that creates a beat.
“Deltas were my favorite hands down,” Mariah Gibbs, a student from SLU. “They were not messing around out there.”
Deltas owned the stage with their hair flips and throwing their signature diamond symbols in the air. By incorporating different steps and strolling, synchronized party walk with and without hip hop music, they were a crowd favorite. The ladies in red also participated in the mini dance contest with the audience. People were pulled on stage to show off their dance moves by Chappelle. With encouragement from the audience, the randomly selected people were moving to the beat.
