Two groups of girls chattered in nervous excitement as they stood in the ladies’ restroom in Downing University Center while preparing for Thursday’s Unity Step Show.

Members of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and Alpha Omicron Pi sorority made a few last-minute touches before the show.

Nashville freshman Lizzy White is a member of AOPi. As she helped her fellow sister tape red stripes down the sides of her black pants, she spoke about the show.

“We practiced so hard,” she said.

She said they spent a month preparing for the night’s event, donating two hours every night during the last two weeks.

The Unity Step Show came to DUC Theater for the second year in a row, sponsored by the members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Co-chairmen Samson Anderson and Tawanda Chitapa, both Alphas, said they have been working to bring the Greek community together since last semester.

In the theater the audience radiated energy.

Music blared from the speakers while the Alphas and Delta Sigma Theta danced on stage. The ADPi, AOPi, and Kappa Delta sororities engaged in friendly cheer wars before the show started. Audience members continued to fill the seats, nearly to the back of the theater.

Then the show began.

Paducah senior Kyle Hightower, an Alpha, and Louisville junior Melissa James, a member of Sigma Kappa sorority, were the hosts for the evening.

A group called the Project S.T.E.P.P.A.Z. opened the show with their step performance. Though they weren’t competing, they still exemplified perfect uniformity.

The competition portion of the evening began with the ADPi members dressed in black pants, white blouses, and pink ties. They competed against the KDs and AOPis.

The competition was judged based on five categories – creativity, precision, stage presence, overall performance and crowd response.

After the ADPis came the AOPis. Their theme, based on a police academy, was called AOPi Academy. Dressed in full black with red stripes on their pants, and handcuffs attached to their belts, they resembled a group of new police officers.

The KDs followed with a jailbreak theme. Dressed in jeans and orange shirts, they portrayed themselves as jailbirds who escaped to see the step show.

At the end of the night, AOPi took home the win. They exemplified the ideal of the show, bringing unity to life. Their sister sorority for the semester, the Deltas, helped the AOPis perfect their show.

“That’s what it’s all about – unity,” Anderson said.

The Deltas were given an honorary award for helping the AOPis with the show.

Anderson said he was pleased with the show’s turnout. He said the attendance was about the same as lasts year’s, but the competition was on a different level. The proceeds go to help support the Alphas’ scholarship fund.

After the show the nervous freshman had a different attitude.

“I felt like we deserved it, we worked so hard,” White said. “I was nervous but once we got into it, we didn’t even notice the crowd.”

Henderson junior Amber Williams is not in a sorority but was impressed with the show.

“I thought it was really good,” Williams said. “I came out last year and wanted to come out again this year.”

Reach Lynn Steller at [email protected]