The National Panhellenic sororities and fraternities will be stepping and strolling once again this Friday for the 25th anniversary of Stomp Fest. A step show and competition where sororities and fraternities will perform for the chance to be crowned winner, this event is widely celebrated.

The event is hosted by the National Panhellenic Council, which, according to the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life website, is composed of seven active historically but not exclusively Black sororities and fraternities. NPHC also hosted Meet the Greeks earlier in the semester, another step show where the sororities and fraternities had a chance to introduce themselves to the UT community.

The step show will take place in the Student Union auditorium Friday, starting at 7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to be there early, as doors to the auditorium will open at 6:30 p.m.

A total of eight teams will be performing. While most teams will be affiliated with UT, there will also be some non-UT teams competing.

In the past, the event has packed the auditorium with an audience ranging from students, staff, faculty and even students from local high schools. Many guests unaffiliated with UT also attend the show every year.

Stomp Fest began in 2000 at UT and has become a highly anticipated event, especially among the Black community at UT. Every year, it caps off Homecoming week with a night of music, fellowship and stepping.

In previous years, Stomp Fest had been hosted by the Black Central Programming Committee in collaboration with the Office of Multicultural Student Life. However, neither organization exists anymore with previous MSL initiatives now being run under the Office of Campus Culture and Community. As a result, the program is now hosted by NPHC.

“While the changes have been a hit to a lot of our morale, it does kind of reflect why we do this in the first place and why our ancestors did as well,” Kylie Jackson, a junior majoring in journalism and electronic media, wrote in an email statement.

“It helps remind us of the joy that we can bring into our lives, and that everything that is happening doesn’t have to bring our spirits down, and reminds us that there’s always a way to find joy in the lives we live,” Jackson wrote in an email statement.

Despite these changes, Carson Broughton, a junior civil engineering major, says the essence of Stomp Fest remains the same and Jackson emphasizes the importance of keeping this essence alive.

“Stomp Fest is important, especially in this day in age, because with the rise of Black Greek Life on social media, many have tried to lessen the importance of our culture and tradition and try to ridicule it, without educating themselves on why stepping and strolling are so important to us,” Jackson wrote in an email statement.

Preparing for Stomp Fest is more than just going over a step routine. There is a plethora of smaller details to hammer out as well.

“It is not all about stepping, but incorporating tricks and stunts that will show the crowd and add more to the art of stepping,” Jackson wrote in an email statement.

Jackson explained that Stomp Fest is especially important to the Black community at UT. She said that stepping is a way for Black people to express themselves.

“Stomp Fest helps us bring that historical piece to campus and show that it is more than just a trend or dance,” Jackson wrote in an email statement. “The way that we express ourselves, through stepping and strolling, has been something that has helped Black people feel liberated since the early 1900s and even stems from how Black people used to find joy in the arts during slavery.”

Broughton expressed that stepping and strolling are deeply rooted within the culture of D9 Greek life.

“It is very rooted within Black UT culture to put on a step show each year,” Broughton said. “Everybody wants to prove themselves on that stage. They want to prove that they can be great, not just to themselves but to everyone else too. Everyone wants to prove that they’re the biggest and the best of the best.”

The months leading up to the event have been a rigorous routine of practice and preparation for the participating Greek organizations. For students Broughton and Jackson, this year will be the first time they have performed at Stomp Fest. Broughton is a member of the Kappa Chi Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Jackson is a member of the Mu Zeta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc..

“It’s a learning moment every time you do it,” Broughton said. “After each Stomp Fest, we are invigorated to do better and create a fun experience for new people every year.”

Both Jackson and Broughton have been locked into a routine of rigorous practice for the past few months, having to balance performance practice with their classes, homework and other extracurriculars.

“We figure out a theme and what we want to do first,” Broughton said. “After that, we choose our steps and after the steps, you choose who will perform and then we go into the practices. It’s a very time-consuming process. Long nights, countless hours.”

Broughton said that practicing for Stomp Fest could look like stepping until 11 p.m. with unfinished assignments due by midnight. It could also look like practicing in the middle of the night or even during a slow period at work.

“It’s been hard,” Broughton said. “There have been times when we’ve had practice on practice on practice. But at the end of the day, we always locked in. We all have the same goal, which is to put on a show and win.”

As students who have attended the event in previous years, both are excited to be active participants this time around.

“We put in all this effort and work, and now I want to go out there and put my A-game on the field,” Broughton said.

Jackson explained that not only is she excited for her sorority’s performance, but also for the opportunity to watch her opponents.

“I have always enjoyed seeing how the organizations would come together in different, creative ways to put on a performance that help highlight a cherished tradition in Black Greek Culture of stepping,” Jackson wrote in an email statement. “Every year comes with more talent, people take what they learned from either winning or losing the year before, and apply it to level up their skill level and performance to make a better show each year.”

Students can still buy last-minute tickets for Stomp Fest for $17.85 through Eventbrite. Anyone else looking to attend can buy a general admission ticket for the same price.

“It is important not to forget our history and what brought us here, especially on a predominantly white campus, and this is just one small way that we share a tradition that has been dear to the Black community for over a century,” Jackson wrote in an email statement. “It is a blessing that I can contribute to this and help continue this tradition for hopefully another century and beyond.”