In the spring semester at USC, some Black students start to go missing. You won’t see them at social gatherings or walking around campus like any other day.
Usually, this means one thing in the Black community: these “missing students” are joining a Divine Nine fraternity or sorority. They keep their dealings a secret so that later in the Spring semester, there’s a big reveal of who they are to the rest of the student body.
This big reveal is known as a new membership showcase or presentation, and all nine fraternities and sororities organizations in the National Pan-Hellenic Council do them.
“It’s always exciting to see more people coming into these organizations. That’s the core of it all,” said Devin Walker, the director of Fraternity and Sorority Leadership Development at USC. “I care so much about the experience, and I’m always excited to see new faces.”
A new membership showcase brings a nervous excitement to students on USC’s campus because they want to know who is being presented.
“When I go to a show I’m excited to see who we get to celebrate,” said Payten Briscoe, a sophomore business administration major with a marketing emphasis. “It is a great time to celebrate the accomplishments that these people have made and the hard work that they’ve put in to be a part of the organization.”
People from all over the country come to multiple new membership showcases to support both the performers and the organizations, and students travel from different schools as well to support their friends.
Historically at USC, these showcases happen on the Physical Education Building steps directly in front of the building. In a showcase, the new members march out in masks, usually singing or humming a song that is historic for their organization, before presenting the information about their organization. They then unmask and introduce themselves to the crowd.
The experiences vary at different colleges across the country. But, to students, it is interesting to compare showcases.
“I literally just went to North Carolina for my best friend’s showcase at North Carolina Central University, and it’s just fun to see,” said Arija Martin, a junior majoring in international relations. “Every organization and chapter does things different and comparing the showcases is fun to do.”
So far this Spring, there have been four new membership showcases, and there is one more coming up on Saturday, April 6.
The performers participating in the showcase are excited for their moment and appreciate the support.
“At first I was a little anxious, but as the show went on I became more comfortable and really performed,” said Tarrus Richardson Jr, a senior studying business administration. “It definitely was cool seeing all the folks who came out and supported. From our friends to the broader USC community, it meant a lot.”
Some people like Richardson have the honor of sharing this experience with their fathers, sometimes grandfathers, and other family members who are in the same organization.
“It was really a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me and my Dad,” Richardson said. “Being a member of the organization is something I’ve wanted for a really long time, and something that my dad is incredibly prideful in. For it to all come together my senior year at USC was a full circle moment for real, just pure joy and love.”
The older members of the organizations do a lot of work to make sure the showcases go well, but they say it is worth all of the hard work.
“As a member of Greek life, having to do a bunch of work behind the scenes to get our own showcases together makes me appreciate the show a lot more,” said Aaron Shields, a senior studying computer science and business administration.
Through all of this hard work, the big picture behind a new membership showcase is a celebration for the people coming into an organization after you.
“At the core of everything, when I’m at a show it’s all excitement for what these new folks can bring to this experience and then what they can do for the next lines that come behind them,” Walker said.
Makai Singleton is a member of the Beta Omega Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.