Pride will be at stake this Saturday when seven of the historically black sororities and fraternities battle it out for the glory of winning Face Off 2007.

“Basically it’s about pride,” said Marcus Johnson, a senior from Jonesboro and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.

“Everyone has pride in their fraternity or sorority, and whoever wins has bragging rights for the year.”

Sponsored by the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC), Face Off has taken place during the first weekend of February, which is also Black History Month, for more than 20 years.

Johnson said this is his first time performing. He and his fraternity have been preparing for a month, holding practices a few times every week.

“We really want to win it this year,” he said. “I’m just ready to get out there and perform.”

Aside from the fun of putting on a great show, Veronica Hunte, president of NPHC, said the purpose of Face Off is to raise funds to promote scholarships, leadership conferences, programs and fun community service projects.

Each year a scholarship is presented to one male and female student.

As evidenced in previous years, Face Off never fails to bring in a large crowd, and this year, Hunte said she is expecting more than 2,000 people to show up.

“Every year, we just about sell out,” she said.

Shad� Watson, a junior from Marietta and a member of Delta Sigma Theta, said the show has become so popular that people come from out of town to see it.

“It’s well worth the time and money, especially for those who have never seen stepping before,” she said.

According to Watson, Delta Sigma Theta has been the reigning champ for the past five years, and the sorority doesn’t plan on giving up its title anytime soon.

“We’ve been preparing for the show since last semester,” she said.

With each organization getting to choose its own theme, the show is always different.

“It’s fun to see the creativity of the steps,” Watson said. “There’s a new surprise each year.”

Last year, Delta Sigma Theta’s “Superheroes” theme won the competition. This year, no one will know what to expect for the show because the groups don’t reveal their themes ahead of time.

Each group has 15 minutes to perform, and the winner gets $750 and a trophy while the runner-up is awarded $350.

“We usually use the money for our philanthropy and things we do in the community,” said Chinasa Ordu, a senior from Stone Mountain and a member of Delta Sigma Theta.

In an effort to involve the community, Face Off will also feature performances from local high school and elementary school step teams, as well as a performance from the University’s Pamoja Dance Team.

Although winning is on the minds of every sorority and fraternity, Hunte insisted that Face Off is merely a friendly competition.

“It’s a chance to get out there, show your skills and have a really good time,” she said.