The National Pan-Hellenic Council’s Pan-Afrikan Step Show Friday night in Stewart Theatre featured step teams from four fraternities and two sororities, but was not free from incident.
Alpha Phi Alpha won the fraternity portion of the show, but had its routine interrupted when a fire alarm sounded, leading to a required evacuation.
Colleen Gillis, a senior in applied sociology and member of the Delta Sigma Theta step team, was backstage when the alarm sounded, and was forced out of the building while the alarm was reset.
“Everyone was outside for 10 or 15 minutes or so,” Gillis said. “Then everybody was able to go back in and [Alpha Phi Alpha was] able to perform again at the end.”
Gillis said the use of fog and smoke machines during routines may have led to the alarm, but there were allegations that the alarm was pulled in an effort to give the performing step team a fresh start later in the program.
Gillis felt the alarm was just a coincidence.
“Whether the fire alarm happened or they just did their routine, it wouldn’t have mattered,” Gillis said. “Their routine was still
the same.”
Gillis also said allowing the team to perform later in the evening was a justified solution to the team having their routine interrupted.
“I honestly think it was an accident, things happen all the time,” Gillis said. “It was fair for them to go at the end because that was a big disruption.” Gillis said the extra time may have allowed Alpha Phi Alpha to be more mentally prepared, but insisted the incident didn’t give the team an unfair advantage.
“It gave them a chance to clear their head,” she said. “It worked out in their favor, but I don’t necessarily agree that there was a controversy. I don’t think anybody expected that to happen.”
Delta Sigma Theta won the sorority portion of the step show in the step show’s return to campus after it wasn’t held during last year’s Pan-Afrikan festival.
“It was a good show,” Gillis said. “Especially since we weren’t able to have one last year. Everybody did great and came prepared.”
