By Francisco Velazquez
It’s homecoming week and one of the great events ringing in this weekend’s festivities is a Fraternity and Sorority Life tradition. Get ready to experience one of the most vibrant events of the weekend in the annual NPHC/MGC Homecoming Yard Show! This Friday, the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) and the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) communities come together for a high-energy celebration of culture, unity, and Greek pride that you won't want to miss.
But…what is a Yard Show?
Rooted in the traditions of the National Pan-Hellenic Council—the historically Black fraternities and sororities known as the "Divine Nine"—a Yard Show is a performance event traditionally hosted outdoors on campus, or otherwise, “the yard,” as a cultural celebration, a display of pride, and a way to introduce “Greek” life to the community and prospective members. In recent years, the showcase has been formalized with support from the Fraternity and Sorority Life office while growing to include organizations from the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), creating an even richer tapestry of campus culture and heritage.
It’s part performance, part cultural exposition, and pure energy, with stepping, strolling, saluting, chanting, dancing and various combinations of them all.
“The Homecoming Yard Show provides students with an opportunity to showcase their organizations' culture, traditions, and talents while building pride in their chapter and council. The event also creates a platform for students to celebrate their identities and accomplishments in front of the broader campus community,” said Xavien Johns, FSL Coordinator who primarily advises the two councils.
Yet along with showcasing each organization, the Yard Show as a whole has deep meanings and themes that stretch back to ancestral origins.
African Traditions and Body Percussion
The foundation of stepping and strolling connects directly to West African percussive dance, song, and storytelling traditions. When enslaved Africans were stripped of traditional drums—which enslavers feared could be used to communicate across plantations—they adapted by turning their own bodies into instruments. Through body percussion (clapping, stomping, slapping arms and thighs), ring shouts, and call-and-response chants, rhythm remained an essential tool for community, communication, and spiritual strength.
Over the decades after NPHC organizations formed in the early 1900s, organizations integrated precise military-style drilling, percussive step routines, and choreographed "strolls" set to contemporary music.
"The Yard" on HBCU Campuses and Beyond
In the early-to-mid 20th century on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), "the yard"—the central outdoor gathering place on campus—became sacred ground. Fraternities and sororities laid claim to specific spots, trees, or benches where members gathered to sing, chant, and demonstrate brotherhood and sisterhood. Showing off unified movements and vocal chants in the yard evolved into formal Yard Shows. Here at MSU, the Yard Shows were traditionally held for decades in the Kedzie Hall Courtyard near the center of campus as well as the IM East Field basketball courts. Three years ago, students formalized the event with the Fraternity and Sorority Life office and brough it indoors to the Wharton Center Cobb Great Hall as part of the Homecoming festivities.
Expansion and the MGC Movement
In recent decades, these percussive and line-dance traditions spread beyond the NPHC. Organizations within the MGC—including Latine, Asian-American, and South Asian Greek-letter organizations—adopted and adapted stepping and strolling. They infused the art forms with their own distinct cultural rhythms, musical styles, and heritage, expanding the Yard Show into a broad, multi-ethnic celebration of “Greek” life.
Why You Should Be There
The event is free and open to all! No matter where you come from, the Yard Show offers great insight into these organizations and their deep contributions to the MSU Community.
- For Students: It’s the ultimate Friday kickoff! Come support your friends, discover what FSL is all about, and experience the rhythmic artistry of stepping and strolling up close.
- For Parents and Alumni: Gain a front-row seat to the rich cultural traditions that shape our campus community and witness the leadership and pride of our student organizations.
- For Campus and Community Members: Enjoy an exciting, family-friendly evening celebrating diversity, history, and university spirit.
Event Details
- When: Friday, Oct. 9; Doors open at 6:00 p.m.; Show begins at 7:00 p.m.
- Where: Michigan State University Wharton Center Cobb Great Hall
- Admission: Free and open to all!
Johns is excited to see the growth of the program: “Whether it has been incorporating the MGC or making it a competition, we have been able to see the community rally behind this event,” he said. “It is one thing to put on an event for students, but when they take ownership of creating the experience, it creates the best traditions.”
Learn more about Fraternity and Sorority Life at fsl.msu.edu.