The Alpha Sigma Alpha and Sigma Alpha Epsilon team was crowned the winner of Thursday night’s Yell Like Hell at the Convocation Center.

The annual homecoming event is a competition in which teams prepare cheer and dance routines.

“It’s a perfect opportunity for all the Greeks to get together and show our school pride,” said Jeff Paris, senior kinesiology and exercise science major and a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon.

This year, seven teams participated, made up of members from 13 student groups; all were Greek letter organizations. NIU cheerleaders kicked off the event with a routine.

Delta Gamma and Phi Sigma Kappa took home second place. Third place went to the Sigma Sigma Sigma and Pi Kappa Alpha team.

Before each routine, two members of the Homecoming Court – one king candidate and one queen candidate – introduced the next group. Each team picked its own music and created its own moves. The performances showed off stunts and tumbling.

For some participants, Thursday’s routine was not the first time they took part in a cheer routine.

“I was an all-star cheerleader and varsity cheer captain of my high school,” said Michael Bass, freshmen communication major and member of Alpha Phi Omega. “So this is bringing back old memories.”

Of the seven teams, six were joint teams of sorority sisters and fraternity brothers.

“We get to mix with the girls we’re going to homecoming with and get to meet them early,” Paris said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

“I thought it was awesome and a lot of fun,” said Kayla Rowling, freshmen textiles apparel and merchandising major and member of Alpha Sigma Alpha. “It’s really exciting. We worked really hard to put the routine together and I have to thank the older girls for making it up.”