First Hampton University has their first white Ms. Hampton, now the Sprite Step Off has chosen a white sorority as the best steppers in the nation. To me, this says two things. 1) Black folks are getting a little comfortable with everything, not just rap. 2) A lot of people are UBER drove right now..
Welp, people step your game up and you won’t have to worry about the “invasion”. I don’t think white people are worried about us beating them in a log rolling competition. Happy Black History Month!
Via the Hilltop Online
After eight long hours of intense competition, the tension in the Boisfeuillet Atlantic Civic Center was so thick that Shontea Browne, an alumna of Clark Atlanta University was having trouble keeping her heart calm.
“I just know how bad these girls want this,” Browne said, referring to the Clark Atlanta University chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, one of 14 National Pan-Hellenic sororities and fraternities competing in the National Final of the $1.5 million Sprite Step Off. “They’ve worked so hard.”
It was nearly 12:30 a.m., and the crowd of more than 4,500 had since dwindled to half that number. People were restless, anxious, and eager for results.
Third place went to University of Rutgers Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Second: Clark Atlanta University Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the first place winners of $100,000 in scholarship money was the Central State University Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
The Howard University Xi Chapter members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. said they executed their high intensity and extremely difficult show better than ever before; yet, unfortunately, it was not enough.
“I feel like we should have placed,” said Jeremy Williams, junior biology major and member of the Xi Chapter step team.
Along with Howard’s own Alpha Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., there were several electrifying acts, including the Tau chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority from the University of Indiana and the only team in the competition not part of the Divine Nine group of predominantly African-American sororities and fraternities, Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, Inc.
The Zeta Tau Alpha team, comprised of Caucasian females, clad in black trench coats, shades and boots came out and stunned the capacity crowd with awe-inspiring stepping, rhythm, precision, and intensity.
Shaunte Russel, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. from Xenia, Ohio who came to support the eventually winning male step team from Central State University, was thoroughly impressed by the Zetas.
“I thought it was pretty amazing that [the Sprite Step Off] had a white step team, and that they performed so well,” Russel said.
Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) was first introduced to the art of stepping 15 years ago by a local AKA chapter at the University of Arkansas.
“It started out as pure philanthropy,” said Kristin King, member of the ZTA step team.
Fellow ZTA team member Alexandra Kosmitis said, “We used to have local competitions every year and decided to venture out into more rigorous competition this year. We’re just amazed to be here. We were told we wouldn’t make it out the first round, and now we’re here getting a standing ovation.”
That wasn’t all they got.
Zeta Tau Alpha defeated all opposition to claim first prize.
The announcement sent shock waves through the crowd creating an uneasy combination of cautious celebration and chagrin.
Tension was high. A white sorority had just won one of the largest step shows in history and, though some were impressed, many more were upset and confused.
“Sprite didn’t do a good job explaining the show; they manipulated the crowd,” said Oyetewa Oyerinde, a sophomore sports medicine major. “I thought the Zetas were more of a showcase. I thought this was a Divine Nine event.”
Crowd participation was a major determinant in the judging, and though the crowd clearly appreciated the Indiana University AKAs, who went on to place second in the competition, they were outright boisterous after the Zeta performance.
“The ballots were extremely close, but in the end I think the crowd actually won the show for the Zetas” said an MTV representative who was working backstage.
He believed the decision was a last minute one, but there are some who believe the show’s outcome was a predetermined one.
Various participants backstage asserted that MTV and Sprite took the Cinderella story of the anomalous Zeta’s and ran with it.
Mentioning how the Zetas received a biased amount of television coverage and were treated more favorably than the other participating sororities, many felt after the Zeta’s made it to the National Final, MTV and Sprite became less concerned with treating all their participants fairly and more concerned with promoting the Zeta’s unlikely story.
“I’m upset MTV followed the Zeta’s around and capitalized on us,” said Francesca Hindmon, a senior economics major. “It seems to have been a setup from jump.”
Senior political science major Brittany Reeves was visibly upset at the results.
“Sprite used the step off to exploit black culture,” Reeves said.
“How are you going to take something that’s ours, and give it away?” Williams added.
Williams, Reeves and many others were upset, but this was not the case with everyone.
“Everyone [is] stuck in the old way of stepping – including only the Divine 9,” said Joshua Taborn, a senior political science and philosophy double major. “And because ‘the white people’ won, we’re mad at ourselves.”
Taborn said, “We gave them a standing ovation when they stepped, and booed when they won. We’re hypocrites.”
One of the organizers of the trip, former HUSA president and current Howard law student Marcus Ware, also took a more objective approach in his assessment of the situation.
“I think Zeta Tau Alpha and the Tau chapter AKAs were evenly matched, but the crowd went more so with the Zetas and crowd participation matters. So the results make sense,” Ware said.
Regardless of the controversy, there were still a lot of participants who were satisfied with the step off overall. The Central State University chapter Alphas, the fraternity winners, said they really appreciated the “bonds that were made with other orgs and within our organization.”
“It’s been a wonderful event,” said Augusto Elias, the National Marketing Director for Coca-Cola. “We have to evaluate the event as a whole, but I’m sure [the step off] will be back.”
Comments (15)
I looked at the youtube video. The girls were very precise. I’m not sure what the competition looked like, but I commend them for working hard and doing well…and its clear that they learned from the best
@Toni: I agree with that.. but I think that stepping was definitely on my list of things that we would always dominate.. I guess not.. smh
Good insight Cody, and LMAO @ Toni
I hate it, but it seems like anytime something doesn’t go our way, we wanna cry bias. After perusing the various youtube videos, the ZTA’s were actually much better than various other teams, and the applause from the audience was deafening. I think it’s deplorable when we (a marginalized group) try to lock the door to things that we consider “ours”. Basketball wasn’t invented by a black person, and we’d be pissed if everytime Jordan had won a championship, he was met by this type of reception. We didn’t invent Greek Letter Organizations, nor do we bank-roll Sprite (I’m Just saying). Give yourselves a break. I think this is a great opportunity for people to rid themselves of the sense of entitlement, get hungry and get in it to to win it next year.
There are several things that frustrate me with this situation:
1) the way the competition was marketed made it seem like it was ONLY for the Divine 9 organizations when in fact it wasn’t. So yes, I do feel like our culture was exploited.
2) I agree with Josh Taborn in the article. a LARGE part of the reason the ZTA won was crowd participation. From what I understand, the crowd was way more excited to see ZTA step than anyone else. If the crowd was mad that they won, they shouldn’t have been cheering their asses off when they were on stage.
2b) that being said, I think it has to do primarily with the fact that NO ONE expected them to be as “good” as they were (and some of the other teams as BAD). So naturally, people are going to cheer.
3) I saw ZTA’s show (both the 2008 version and this one – virtually the same) and AS a stepper I am not only disappointed that they won, i feel many types of ways about it. yes, their stepping was precise but it’s very easy to make steps precise when the steps are VERY simple. which brings me to…
4) the judges. to MY understanding, NONE of the judges were greek or had ever stepped before in a realistic capacity. To me, that’s like Ellen being a judge on American Idol. Comic relief that doesn’t make much sense in the long run. I don’t feel that they were appropriately equipped to judge a TECHNICAL competition
5) Also, a stepper can recognize where things have been *ahem* borrowed. One of the highlights of the ZTA show was a step that had been performed by …get this, Alpha Chapter AKAs in 2006. Give credit where it’s due
6) While I am sad that neither of our (HU’s) teams place, welcome to the reality. Outside the bubble of Howard, believe it or not, you may need to step your game up. Come harder next year, if you choose to participate.
Nevertheless, I commend the originality and hard work of both teams because, lets’ face it: Everyone can’t hire a choreographer (looking back at you with the side eye ZTA…)
While I agree that we shouldn’t cry bias or try to lock doors to things that are traditionally “black,” I beleive there is another explanation for why they won. Sure their performace was well organized and precise but they were also WHITE. And because they were white (sadly) most people had low expectations for them. When they did deliver then the fact that they were white made it that much better and impressive…thus the loud cheering and crowd enthusiasm. Subconciously the judges likely gave them higher scores because they weren’t being compared to the other teams…they were being compared to the sterotype of white people and their lack of rhythm. I don’t think it’s fair to them or the other teams but who said life was fair?
@victoria everyone likes the underdog. even though in life, white ppl are typically not the underdog, in this competition they were. everyone keeps saying their steps were precise but… there should be now “but”. I think all the other teams should be mad at themselves for underestimating the competition. dont make excuses, just go harder.
@ Victoria so you are saying that the other teams were better, because in watching the video I think that they were on point. Yes, it is true that they could have been better, and I’ve seen better. But I think the focus should be on the black teams for not coming as hard as they could. Everyone there took the white team for granted, and sometimes that counts for something in the eyes of judges.. Plus no one is ever happy with step show judging because its an opinion. White or not.. they won fair and square.
@ HU Alumna That’s your opinion.. a bitter one. but an opinion none the less..
@Dustin Blake: Yes people tend to like the underdog. However, do you think an all black ski team would receive an abundance of cheers during a competition that considers crowd participation. Even if the skiers (I know…horrible example lol) were really good…and no one expected the group of brown people to be out in the cold, and they were the underdog…white peopel would have had enough sense to shut the hell up. Whereas, like @HUAlumna said we were cheering our asses off.
@Cody3K I didn’t think the other teams took the ZTA for granted; if that was truely the case then that was stupid. In a competition you should always bring your A+ game or you will be surprised.
Explain to me how or what part of my opinion is bitter.
@HUAlumna I don’t think you came across as bitter at all. However, some people confuse frustration with bitterness or anger. lol
@Victoria I feel you, but it show’s up so many times in life. We as black people are always excited to see a white person excel in a field that isn’t traditionally white (if for nothing more than it’s intriguing nature). Whether it be the one white kid at an HBCU (Morehouse’s Valedictorian from a few years ago) or a white step team, we’re always intrigued. Conversely, I doubt this win made any waves to their community. We’re sitting here all bitter and upset about 100k, for which none of us were competing. When I here about steps being stolen, I’m instantly turned off, every step has been borrowed and changed from show to show. I will concede, however, that the FA 2006 show at HU with the AKA bringing stepping back to life on the table was superb.
@HU Alumna: I was just talking about the side eyed nature of your comment. Like Victoria said, I might have confused that with frustration. I think that anytime you add race into something that should be strictly based on competition it because a little touchy.
@Cody Gotcha…so yeah, the side eye was BIT on the nose
(slaps self on the wrist).
I think I’m frustrated at a lot of things. The poor planning and logistics of Sprite. The “celebrity” judges. The outcome of the sorority side. I don’t think ZTA was bad at all. I just don’t think they were $100k good.
Also I’m a sad at Howard for its performance. As a grad, I’ll be the first to say that we are our toughest critic. We were resting on our laurels and got “Got”. Not the the performances was terrible, it just seemed as though we underestimated our opponents as a whole.
And another thing, I know it’s an elimination-style competition but I would have liked to see OTHER members of the D9 stepping as I believe that only 5 orgs (out of 14 teams) were represented
Congrats to ZTA. Even if they did hire a choreographer, who cares. They were the best at the competition, stop crying about it.
Funny, I didn’t think anyone was crying…simply sharing opinions and engaging in conversation.