Dancing, music and history took center stage Friday as Purdue’s Divine Nine fraternities and sororities showcased their organizations during the annual National Pan-Hellenic Council Yard Show.
The Yard Show features performances by members of the Divine Nine, a collective term for nine historically Black fraternities and sororities that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council. This year, members discussed their philanthropy, danced, sang and interacted with the crowd. Each group wore outfits representing its fraternity or sorority’s colors, while some incorporated specific themes into their performances.
Dillon Wright, a senior in business analytics and information management, president of the NPHC and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, shared the principles on which the Divine Nine were founded.
“Divine Nine fraternities and sororities were founded on principles where Black women and men could not be a part of normative Greek life, so they wanted to start their own thing,” Wright said. “Tonight we're presenting to the Purdue campus about what our council is about.”
Wright said he hopes people experiencing the show for the first time can learn that they can find meaningful relationships and friendships wherever they go.
“There are relationships and friendships that you can find anywhere, even if that means stepping outside of your comfort zone or going somewhere that you wouldn’t think you would go,” Wright said.
The event began with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first historically Black fraternity, founded in 1906. Members danced while wearing white button-down shirts and striped ties representing the fraternity’s official colors, black and old gold. During their performance, members spoke about the fraternity’s history and how its Purdue chapter, Gamma Rho, was founded in 1948.
The second performance of the evening was by the Epsilon Rho chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Members wore button-down shirts with vests and pleated skirts representing the sorority’s official colors, salmon pink and apple green.
Throughout their set, they highlighted the sorority’s history as the first historically Black sorority, established in 1908, and discussed the Epsilon Rho chapter, which was founded in 1969. Members danced to songs such as Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” and informed the crowd about their history and philanthropy.
As the night went on, the fraternities and sororities performed in order of when they were established. Members interacted with the crowd, coming off the stage and into the grass to hand out flowers and dance. They also incorporated comedy into their performances, drawing laughter from guests.
For many students, including Emily Wechter, it was their first time seeing the show. Wechter is a sophomore in law and society and a member of Sigma Kappa sorority.
“My favorite part of the show was learning all of the history and seeing how deeply they cared about it,” Wechter said. “It was so fun seeing everyone performing and showing off their organization.”
Sophomore Zoe Medley said it was also her first time attending the show.
“It was super cool,” she said. “My sorority sisters were hyping it up to me a lot because they all go every year. I had no idea what it was going to entail, but I’m really glad I came.”
The Yard Show is one of two shows hosted each year by the NPHC, with the second being the Step Show. While the Yard Show is a performance, the Step Show is a competition.
Kiera Thomas, president of the Epsilon Gamma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, discussed what to expect from each show.
“The Yard show focuses more on us introducing ourselves to the campus while the Step Show focuses primarily on stepping versus just strolling,” Thomas said. “The difference between strolling and stepping is that strolling includes music. Step is the creation of rhythm through your body into certain patterns. It’s more like feet, hands and a cappella. There’s hardly ever a song playing when you’re stepping.”
The night was filled with jokes and dancing, but the performances also gave students and community members an opportunity to learn more about the organizations’ histories and their roles in the community.
According to Purdue’s website, NPHC organizations have a strong focus on community service, with members participating in activities such as blood drives, soup kitchens and tutoring youth.
Camren Avant, president of the Gamma Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, spoke about the impact his fraternity has had on the community. The chapter’s most recent fundraising effort was aimed at helping people in Gary, Indiana, deal with the aftermath of flooding that occurred in August. Avant said giving back is not something new to Alpha Phi Alpha.
“I grew up around Alphas and the only people I saw giving out free haircuts to kids or making sure that kids had food security were Alphas,” he said. “So that’s what it means to me, just giving back to your community. I think that the Yard Show exemplifies it. Overall, I think it’s just a cool way for people on campus to see that there are organizations, fraternities and sororities that they can join.”
The night came to a close as all of the chapters joined together onstage, singing, dancing and representing the unity that NPHC provides for students across campus.