“We’re making changes!” shouted four members of Kean University’s chapter of national sorority Sigma Gamma Rho (SGRHO) at this year’s Wreck The Yard, which took place in Wilkins Theatre on Friday, April 8, 2016.

On July 10, 2015, Sandra Bland was pulled over in Texas by State Trooper Brian Encinia for failure to use her turn signal. After several minutes of uncooperative yet valid communication, Encinia drastically arrested Bland. Three days later, Bland was found dead in her cell, cause of death: suicide by asphyxiation. Bland’s family and many others hold tight to the belief that she should have never been arrested, and left alone for three days. This case is seen, by many, as a case of abuse of power and police brutality against an African-American woman.

What most people don’t know is that Bland was a sister of Sigma Gamma Rho. With this knowledge, the sisters of SGRHO at Kean University decided to dedicate this particular performance to those affected by similar circumstances. The four sisters took the stage in police themed costumes and proceeded to step with precision and intensity. Acting as warriors against violent and racially charged crimes, the women militantly worked towards change on stage for one of their own.

“There has been a lot of recent cases of police brutality and we wanted to take a stand,” said sister of SGRHO Rosalee Howard, a junior psychology major. “She was a member of our sorority and people need to remember that there are things bigger than yourself.”

Judges Albert Asiama and Kayla Raquel were wowed by the performance as well as many audience members, stating that it was impressive and “really something.” Other acts from fraternities and sororities throughout the night included a nursing home theme from Alpha Phi Alpha, a Rugrats theme from Iota Phi Theta, a harlequin nightmare circus theme from Delta Sigma Theta, among many others.

Two crowd favorites not previously mentioned were Chi Upsilon Sigma and Phi Beta Sigma, who ended up taking home one of the two trophies by the end of the night, the other going rightfully to SGRHO.  The contestants were not only judged on coordination and skill, but also theme, creativity and originality. The show concluded with performance by Jaryd Lewis, also known as “2Stacks.” Asiama, a friend of Lewis, told of his struggles to reach his full potential and was honored to have him at such a large event.

“Chasing your dreams is hard,” said Asiama. “But my friend just won’t give up, he’s the real deal.”

After the winners were announced, the entire theatre erupted with applause and praise for SGRHO and Phi Beta Sigma. With a crowd reaching into the hundreds, it was the perfect time and place to plug the Kean Dance Marathon (KDM) taking place on Friday, April 15, 2016; donations to KDM were also encouraged.

“Stroll or die,” said Asiama to conclude the night.