In the 100 years that the Crimson has been student-run, it has always reported on Samford’s biggest tradition — Step Sing.
The first mention of Step Sing in the Crimson comes from Dec. 8, 1950. The brass section of the band played Christmas carols from the steps of the campus’ main building. The Crimson reported, “Mr. Anthony Raisis said he hopes this step-singing will become a Howard tradition.”
Although this is the first time Step Sing was reported, many such step sings and Singspirations took place during the 1950’s: for fun, for holidays, and for worship events.
On Oct. 12 of the next year, the Crimson announced another “all campus step Singspiration” on the steps of Renfroe Hall.
The second annual caroling step sing was in December of the same year. The Crimson reported on Dec. 7, “Inaugurated last Yuletide, the popular occasion is rapidly becoming a Howard tradition”. These were still all relatively small events briefly mentioned in the newspaper alongside countless other announcements.
Around 1956, the event started to be officially recognized by the name “Step Sing,” and the Crimson reported that it was now sponsored by the Women’s Student Government Association. It reported two winners: Delta Omicron Sorority and the Ministerial Association. This story made the largest headline on the front page of the Crimson, reflecting the significance the event had begun to garner.
Around 1962, the Step Sing tradition transitioned from the Christmas season to around the month of March, in conjunction with Friendship Week and later Homecoming Week. These events also had awards for Mr. And Mrs. Friendship and the friendliest male and female professors.
In February of 1971, the Crimson reported about a controversy of whether Step Sing should transition to being a two-night event, since the participants may not get to watch if it was only one night. The chairmen of the Step Sing committee eventually decided to hold off until the next year.
The following year, Step Sing finally made the jump to a two-night event in Seibert Gym, to allow for the number of guests attending and to give the groups a “live rehearsal” before being judged.
In February of 1974, the Crimson reported that Step Sing practice had been limited to three weeks to “enable the groups to be fresher and enjoy performing more,” the February 15 issue reported. This rule still holds true today.
1976 had the headline “This year’s Step Sing makes the Big Move,” as the event moved from the Seibert Gym to the Wright Center auditorium. That year, regular tickets to attend the show cost only $1.50.
Up until 1978, Step Sing had come at the end of Homecoming week, due to the football team being disbanded for a period of years. In 1977, Homecoming moved to the fall semester, allowing Step Sing to shine as an independent event in the spring.
The tradition continued as normal until 1988, when all five fraternities dropped out of the show, due to a new rule banning dancing in fraternity houses. Although the sororities still participated, they only sang on stage, refusing to dance. This was one of the only years that Step Sing wasn’t judged.
The ticket sales for the 1988 show were understandably low, and the SGA budget for spring activities took a hit, having to cut multiple planned events. In February of 1989, the Crimson reported a “Sell-out crowd resurrects the spirit of Step Sing” as the debate about dancing was resolved.
By the 1990’s, Step Sing was virtually the same as what it is today, an event known and loved by the Samford population for 75 years and counting.
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