2008 Woodie Awards
Step Competition stomps into AC
Sarah Morello
Issue date: 5/3/04 Section: News Stories
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The ALANA Network of Assumption College held its 2nd annual Step and Drill Competition on Sunday, April 25th, in the Plourde Recreation Center gym. The ALANA network, which is run by Director of Multicultural Affairs Mario Silva Rosa and Student Activities and Multicultural Affairs graduate student Angela Frietas, had been planning this event since early October.
For those unfamiliar with such an event, Drill, Step, or Stomp is "a unique form of dance that includes a blend of precision drills, acrobatics, athletics, chanting, rhyme, and use of props", according to the competition's program. Teams from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey all came to compete. With performers ranging in age from seven to seventeen, each team arrived with the hopes of becoming number one.
ALANA member and first year graduate student Terrance Miller was excited that an event this big was on Assumption's own campus.
"Back home [in New Haven, Connecticut] drill is really big. Drill and basketball," Miller said. "I wanted to start having a drill and step competition and after speaking with different drill teams, I realized that having a competition here at Assumption was the best idea".
Miller and the rest of ALANA's members started brainstorming about this idea about four years ago, and with the help of Angela Frietas, the first Step and Drill Competition was held last year.
"We all found out that Angela was great at organizing, which was great because I am kind of a slacker," said Miller. "She did the layout and the advertising, and the rest of us put our heads together and helped with other aspects. And here we are, at a second competition".
The competition was supported through different organizations on campus, such as the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the Finance Office. Many volunteers from SGA, CAB and the Reach Out Center came to help set up and run the event. Even though this competition is only in its second year, Miller is confident that Assumptions competition is well on it's way to becoming an even bigger event.
"Last year, our competition was up there compared to others, and believe me, I have been to a lot of these competitions," said Miller. "Other competitions may have more teams, but ours is very organized and was a big success last year, and it is definitely the same for this year."