The Baylor Lariat

Students participate in StompFest 2013, a collaboration between Student Activities and the Zeta Phi Beta sorority to raise money for the Waco Family Abuse Center.

By Ian Currie
Reporter

On Saturday night Waco Hall will be overrun with the pounding of feet, the rushing of blood and the beating of hearts as StompFest returns for the 2014 season.

Stompfest, an idea conceived by Zeta Phi Beta sorority, a historically African-American sorority, is an annual stepping competition. All proceeds go to various philanthropic endeavors. Student Activities and Student Productions also play a large role in organizing the event.

StompFest begins at 7 p.m. in Waco Hall. Tickets are $8 preshow, and are available at the ticket office in the SUB or online at www.baylor.edu/studentactivities/ticketoffice. Tickets will be sold at the door for $12.

All proceeds from ticket sales go towards Zeta Phi Beta’s philanthropy to research sickle cell anemia.
“Sickle cell anemia affects the African-American community in particular,” said Houston junior Jordan Louis, one of two executive student producers for StompFest from Zeta Phi Beta.

Sickle cell anemia is the most common form of sickle cell disease, a disorder that shortens life expectancy.

Through their philanthropy, Louis said she hopes to increase awareness of the disease in the community.
The show has been extremely successful in the past, regularly filling Waco Hall.

Cheryl Mathis, assistant director of campus programs, said she hopes to improve on previous success.

“We hope to improve the functionality of the show as a whole,.Combining Zeta Phi Beta’s stepping expertise with Student Productions’ knowledge of putting on large productions can form an efficient and creative beast,” Mathis said.

Zeta Phi Beta members coach the teams that will perform.

“The coaches have worked really hard on building a relationship with each team,” Louis said. “Because of this, I think the teams are a lot more excited this year.”

The event is organized into a competition with two divisions — a Greek organization division and an independent organizations division. The winners in each division receive prize money ­— first-place in each division gets $750, overall winner gets an extra $250 — which goes toward the team’s charity of choice.

This year there are nine competing acts and the overall theme for the event is “Jukebox.” Louis said this gives teams an opportunity to step to a music genre of their choice.

“There will be a lot of stepping, obviously, but also amazing costumes, stories, acting and production,” Louis said.

StompFest 2014 is a unique opportunity to experience a different side to Baylor.

“We hope to give Baylor a little part of our culture,” Louis said.

Last year the Asian Students Association and the Baylor Transfer Council were awarded first-place in the independent organizations category and Zeta Tau Alpha won the Greek Organizations category.