Review: Columbia University Multicultural Greek Council’s 2024 Homecoming Yardshow
The annual showcase returns, featuring a lineup of Greek organizations and highlighting the campus community's rich cultural heritage.
Jeanine Huang/The Barnard Bulletin
October 28, 2024
To kick off homecoming weekend, Columbia's Multicultural Greek Council hosted its 2024 Homecoming Yardshow at Revson Plaza on Friday, October 25, starting at 7:45 p.m. Typically, yardshows are public demonstrations—especially common among the Divine Nine, the nickname for nine historically Black Greek organizations—that showcase both new and older pledges, as well as the history of the respective chapters and the organizations as a whole. These events highlight each organization’s unique dances, steps, chants, and strolls.
The night started with a roll call of the fraternities and sororities present in the audience by the event hosts, Amaya Williams (BC '25) and CJ Brown (CC '25). Roll calls give each organization space to do their individual calls, engage alumni, and demonstrate these organizations' collective pride and unity. The event featured multiple performances from Columbia’s Greek organizations, including the Mighty Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, the Tau Chapter of Kappa Phi Lambda, the Beta Chapter of Lambda Pi Chi Sorority Incorporated, the Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, the Omicron Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated, the Upsilon Phi Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, and the Blu York Step Team representing Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated.
Jeanine Huang/The Barnard Bulletin
Next up were the evening’s performances. The ladies of the Mighty Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta embraced a traditional step performance featuring their iconic "Years Ago" chant and a storyline centered around Y2K. Starting strong and energetically to “Steppers” by Yo Gotti, Moneybagg Yo, and 42 Dugg, they proved why they’re commonly referred to as the “divas” of the Divine Nine. I found the performance's storyline enjoyable as it took the audience through the decades, particularly the 90s and 00s, while also flashing back to their founding in 1913 to provide a brief history of the chapter and sorority. The highlight of the performance was the krumping segment to Timbaland’s “Drop,” which seamlessly transitioned into a Soul Train-style dance line.
The energy was contagious, and the ladies clearly enjoyed it just as much as the audience.
The Blu York Step Team representing Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated delivered the shortest performance, yet it was my favorite. Their performance was high-energy from start to finish and one of the most in-sync routines of the night. Joe Budden’s “Pump It Up” boomed from the speakers, and the men came out in 2000s-themed outfits. In addition to the jumping and spinning, their famous “Sigma Walk” hyped the crowd up. Abruptly, the music stopped, replaced by the sound of a ticking clock and an alarm that kicked off a segment of the performance dedicated to popular TikTok dances, including those made viral by users @curvejso and @sgc_von. The incorporation of traditional step dances with contemporary moves was a touch that kept the energy high throughout their performance.
In a brief intermission, host Amaya Williams engaged the crowd in the viral “12345678” TikTok trend from a few months ago. While many in the audience were unfamiliar with it, I particularly enjoyed this segment and sang along. Williams is a member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, and this transitioned into her chapter’s performance. The Upsilon Phi Chapter had a dynamic start with T.I.’s “Bring Em Out” and, like the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, accompanied this energy with a bold storyline of addressing haters with this “I don’t see how you can hate from outside the club, you can’t even get in” feeling that I enjoyed. They captivated the audience with their storyline and the banter between songs, showcasing their comedic timing throughout the performance.
Jeanine Huang/The Barnard Bulletin
The ladies of the Lambda Pi Chi sorority also caught my attention, as they appeared to be one of the largest Greek organizations present. Despite their size, they effectively utilized the stage space, delivering a performance so in sync it seemed as if they were one cohesive dancer. Unlike the performances before them, the Beta Chapter did not start with music; instead, they performed a breakdown step routine acapella. After, “Ojos Ferrari” by KAROL G kickstarted the rest of their dance featuring less traditional step moves, more hip-hop elements, and Latin dance influences. A meaningful moment occurred toward the end of the performance when the ladies of Lambda Pi Chi waved the flags of their respective Latin American countries, beautifully incorporating their heritage into the dance.
The amount of talent shown at this year's Homecoming Yardshow cannot be understated and exemplifies the levels of preparation and hard work these Greek organizations put into their performances. “We’ve been really busy,” explained Aliyah Davenport (CC ‘25), a member of the Mighty Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. “We’ve been practicing for over a month: brainstorming, preparing scripts, choosing props and a theme.”
The synchronization that the ladies of Lambda Pi Chi showcased was not without its challenges. “Practice was crazy! We started back in September, so it was a lot of long practices,” said member Jacquelin Franco (CC ‘27). As the yardshow is a yearly event that consistently features new members, the Columbia community gets a free opportunity to witness the culmination of a months-long creative process, resulting in these dynamic, high-energy, and thoughtful presentations.
Jeanine Huang/The Barnard Bulletin
All the sororities and fraternities featured in this article are Greek organizations that celebrate students of color, specifically Black, Asian, and Latinx students within our Columbia community. These organizations can often be overshadowed and underappreciated due to common, negative-leaning preconceptions of Greek life. However, for the individuals in them, this is an expression of their sisterhood and brotherhood at a predominantly white institution, and it is essential to celebrate and support these students as members of the Columbia community.
Afterwards, audience-member Elizabeth Adeoye (CC ‘27) said, “I think it's just education, to learn about different cultures…These organizations really have a commitment to giving back to their communities, so it’s important we pour into them as well.”
Jeanine Huang/The Barnard Bulletin
The Homecoming Yardshow goes beyond just the viewing experience of these performances; it's about recognizing these Greek organizations and the Columbia Multicultural Greek Council. They are committed to spotlighting representation and the expression of minority groups on campus, fostering inclusivity and cultural appreciation in this space. The annual yardshow continues to serve as a powerful reminder of the vibrancy added to our Columbia community through the diverse students who perform, encouraging us all to celebrate and uplift one another.