Stroll to the Polls

by Brooklyn Carroll

It is the sixth year of Alpha Phi Alpha’s annual Stroll to the Polls. As a dance competition with an increasing amount of student participation, both on stage and in the audience, Stroll to the Polls is quickly becoming a must-see tradition on campus. In fact, the Christopher Newport University Ferguson Center for the Arts, the beautiful theatre where Stroll to the Polls is held, is packed with students excited to see the performance each year.

If your high school has a step dance team, then you might be familiar with strolling, the style of dance performed at Stroll to the Polls. It’s easiest to imagine strolling as a mixture of step, marching and hip-hop dance. This style of dance is commonly performed by multicultural Greek organizations. However, in Stroll to the Polls, all Greek organizations on campus are encouraged to form a stroll team to compete against other sororities and fraternities. May the best stroll routine win!

This year, each Greek organization participant, and for the first time, my hip-hop dance group, Hypnotic Control, really brought the energy and enthusiasm into each performance. My favorite part will always be watching Alpha Phi Alpha perform their own choreographed stroll routine.

Stroll to the Polls isn’t just an event for entertainment. In support the Alpha Phi Alpha’s national program, A Voteless People Is A Hopeless People, the purpose of Stroll to the Polls is to promote voter awareness for the upcoming midterm elections. Additionally, all proceeds from the event go to March of Dimes, which fights for the health of all moms and babies, and Beautiful Kids, a nonprofit that helps children with Alopecia. I had so much fun at this event, and it feels great to give to a good cause!