On Friday, the National Pan-Hellenic Council will be strolling for a cause: earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.
The historically black Greek organizations, known as the Divine Nine, will be hosting an “old-school soul train” themed stroll competition at Ohio State. Organization chapters from OSU, Capital University, Bowling Green University and Ohio University will be represented.
Lavelle Stillwell, chair of the stroll competition committee, said that strolling is something that new black Greeks derived from stepping. It’s where members of Greek organizations dance or stroll in a line together, Stillwell said.
Stepping can historically be traced back to slavery and Africa, he said. In Africa, people would communicate through drums. When slavery began in the United States, slave masters took the drums away and slaves were forced to communicate through the stepping of body parts, he said.
Stillwell said strolling allows black Greeks to be more creative and more involved than in stepping.
The event will have three rounds, with each round giving each organization four minutes. There will be a fast round, slow round and an old-school round.
The stroll competition is an annual event. Last year’s winners were the Omicron Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Theta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Both chapters will be competing again this year.
“Although we were victorious in 2008, we know this year we need to bring more than just strolling to the competition — we need to entertain,” Dana Bulliner, stepmaster for Theta Chapter, said in an e-mail to The Lantern.
Stillwell said the chapters have worked hard for months preparing for the event. The competition will give the audience an in-depth representation of each organization, he said.
He said the Divine Nine has an educational program almost every day of the week and the stroll competition will give them a chance to step out and have some fun.
“The competition will be a real treat for the audience,” Stillwell said.
Winners of this year’s competition will receive a split of the money made, but they will be expected to donate that money to Haiti.
“Hopefully, the crowd will also deem all of the performances worthy of their contribution to Haiti,” Bulliner said.
Ronald Parker, program manager for the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., will host the event. Music will be provided by DJ 100 Percent.
The event is Feb. 26 in Hitchcock Hall room 131, and admission is $5. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event will begin at 7 p.m. Stillwell suggests that people arrive early because they expect the event to fill to capacity.
