Following a week of concern about the relationship between LSU and Southern University students, LSU black Greeks gathered Saturday night on Southern’s campus for the LSU Greekshow without any problems.
The Greekshow, a step competition sponsored by LSU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs as a part of Springfest, was held at Southern’s Minidome. Students from LSU, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of New Orleans and Loyola University competed in the step show, combining humor with a touch of satire to entertain attendants.
The Greekshow was held at Southern because its usual venue, the PMAC, is currently under renovation.
While eight groups competed Saturday from the four schools, no groups from Southern participated. Isaac Netters, director of the African-American Cultural Center, said Southern hosted its Greekshow last weekend.
The winning sorority at LSU’s show was Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. The winning fraternity was Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc.
The competition followed a week of concern about relations between students at LSU and Southern University, raising questions about the event’s location and whether Southern students would protest it.
Southern students held a town hall meeting on their campus Wednesday to express concern about a remark an LSUPD officer made concerning Southern students.
LSUPD Maj. Mark Shaw told two University fraternities that were co-hosting an event that he was concerned about Southern students causing a safety problem.
Shaw said he thought Southern students would try to come to the party and have to be turned away. He suspected that after being turned away, many would return to the parking lot where they would be told to leave again because of the University’s policy against loitering.
“Do you, as an organization, want your name associated with the kind of enforcement we’re going to have to do?” Shaw said to the coordinators.
At last week’s meeting at Southern, students said they felt those comments were “racist” and many asked that LSU move its Greekshow to another venue.
A no-loitering policy at the Greekshow was strictly enforced, with many East Baton Rouge sheriff’s deputies on hand. Attendees were not permitted to stand in the hallway that wrapped around the inside of the Minidome, along the walkways outside or in the parking lot.
While there were at least 1000 people in attendance, some students said they felt the turnout was lower than in past years. Some said they thought the drop was because of the recent controversy.
“It wasn’t as big a turnout as they could have had,” said Ian Jones, a business junior. Jones also said he thought it was Southern students who normally come that did not attend.
Chauncy Horton, a construction management junior, added that he was upset about Shaw’s comments, but did not think Southern students should be upset with blacks at LSU.
Netters also said he was not surprised at the turnout.
“[The lower] turnout was to be expected, considering,” he said.
For those that did attend, the night was lively.
As part of the show, the disc jockey often played music during interludes, and members of the crowd stood and danced.
During the dancing, fraternities and sororities performed their “trains” — the groups formed lines and moved around the room performing the same dances in each line. The floor of the Minidome resembled an intricate pattern of lines moving between, around and beside one another through the crowd and around the chairs.
Jayna Mallery, a psychology junior and member of Zeta Phi Beta, Inc. at LSU, said she thought the crowd was great.
“It didn’t get out of hand,” she said. “Crowd control was good.”