Community News B 1
A unique African-American style
Winston-Salem groups to host National Stepshow competition
Chronicle Staff Report
The Xi Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc., of Wake Forest University,
and Big^ Brothers/Big Sisters of Forsyth
County will co-host the National Stepshow
Association's 1991 Championships. The
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Photo by Keith Bel ton
Keith Belton, president of the National
Stepshow Association, Is well-versed In
the rich cultural history of the African
American stepshow.
aimed at black youth. "We are fortunate that
the top-ranked chapters are in the South
eastern region/1 he said. "The kids should
really enjoy the event."
The Eta chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fra
ternity, Inc., North Carolina A&T State
University, is currently the number one
ranked fraternity chapter and is the
defending champion. Hampton Uni
versity's chapter of Omega Psi Phi
won that fraternity's national compe
tition last summer in Detroit. The
Alpha Phi Alpha chapter of the Uni
versity of Virginia is the Alpha East
em region champion. There is cur
rently not a number one ranked
sorority chapter, but the Virginia
State University chapter of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., has one
of the strongest chapters on the East
Coast. Several other chapters will be
competing.
The National Stepshow Associ
ation is a student-run, nonprofit
organization founded by black
Greeks at the University of North
Carolina and Duke University. It has
since spread to campuses across the
state. The organization seeks to end
the exploitation of students, some
thing that fiTas developed with the
rise of stepping's popularity. Initiated
by black Greeks in the 1940s, this
uniquely African-American colle
giate dance form combines the preci
sion of a military drill team, African
second annual championships will bring
several of the top-ranked fraternity and
sorority chapter stepteams to Winston
Salem. The event will be held Saturday,
Mar. 23, at 7 p.m. in Reynolds Auditorium,
)n the campus of Reynolds High School,
and will benefit a scholarship fund for stu
dents in the Piedmont.
"Xi Eta and Big Brothers/Big Sisters
are really working hard to coordinate an
exciting event," stated Xi Eta chapter presi
dent Kevin Hawkins. The chapter will
invite Little Brothers and Little Sisters to
the stepshow as part of the fraternity's "Go
to High School, Go to College" program
call-and-response, and with modern dance
choreography set to music. Since the early
1980s, there has been a great increase in the
number of stepshows that are not student
directed. The larger stepshows held in
Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York raise
in excess of $35,000, yet a majority of the
funds are pocketed by the for-profit promot
er.
"We see stepshows as a means to cre
atively fund community service," explained
Keith Belton, president of the National
Stepshow Association (NSA). Belton, a
recent UNC graduate, researched the histor
ical context and economic circumstances of
stepshows for his senior independent study
in African-American history. The results of
his research encouraged him and several
other students to create the NSA last spring.
"Several for-profit stepshows generate
in excess of $50,000, and students receive
less than $5,000. We thought students need
for Greeks to work together in the commu
nity to make a positive impact," he added.
He cited the success of the UCLA Black
Greek Council's annual spring stepshow
_ which has generated $135,000 for a minori
ty campus scholarship fund over the last
. two years as an example.
Xi Eta chapter member, Michael Wat
community should be done with those pro
ceeds," asserted the sophomore from New
York City. "This Winston-Salem event
allows us to work with Big Brothers/Big
Sisters and raise funds for a community^
scholarship fund. Other students like this
idea," he said. "When I have informed
Greeks at other schools about the NSA and
"We see stepshows as a means to creatively
fund community service. "
-Keith Belton
;<?
_____
v
Photo by Keith BeKpn
WFU's XI Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. will be stepping high at the Mar. 23 National Stepshow Asso
ciation's 1991 Championship In Reynolds Auditorium.
ed to do something about that," Belton said, son, has been to several of the larger non- its objectives, they immediately want to
"In addition, undergraduate black Greeks student-directed stepshows. "The [New know more."
have been maligned in recent years about York] events are nice from a competitive - - Pamela Cheek, Assistant Director of
unity and service. The NSA provides a way- standpoint, but activities benefiting the Please see page B16
Julia P. Chisholm
Chisholm is
selected as
'Teacher of
the Year'
Julia P. Chisholm has the dis
tinct honor of having been select
ed "1991-1992 Teacher of the
Year" at Konnoak Elementary
t School.
Mrs. Chisholm received her
Bachelor of Science degree from
Winston-Salem State University
and a Master of Arts degree from
A&T State University in Greens
boro, N.C.
She was the "1985 Teacher of
the Year" and the 1985 Terry San
ford Award nominee at Franklin
Elementary School in Mt. Airy,
N.C., and the "1989 Math Teacher
of the Year" at Konnoak Elemen
tary School.
Mrs. Chisholm lives in Old
Town with her husband, James,
and their two children. She is the
daughter of James and Magnolia
Perkins.
OUR FOLKS IN THE PERSIAN GULF
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SyWHWCfA SMITH-OESilNQ
Community News Editor
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