IFC lights up campus
Eleven fraternities competed in a light competition, and Sigma Nu won.
Published Dec. 11, 2009
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Lights shine on the Delta Gamma sorority house Wednesday. The Interfraternity Council held council among fraternity houses at MU to see who had the best decorations, but sororities also joined in on the decoration.
The Interfraternity Council held its second IFC Holiday Lights Competition on Tuesday.
"We thought this was a good way to get general members to walk around and see the inside and outside of other chapter houses," IFC Programming Vice President Matt Schornheuser said. "It helps with unity and interaction."
The fraternities in Greektown that competed were Phi Kappa Psi, Alpha Gamma Sigma, Pi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Sigma Phi and Delta Upsilon.
The fraternities along Frat Row that competed were Sigma Nu, Alpha Gamma Rho, Sigma Chi and Beta Theta Pi.
Schornheuser said Sigma Nu won first place, Alpha Gamma Sigma won second place and Alpha Gamma Rho won third.
Schornheuser said the prize is a holiday wreath. Sigma Nu, last year's winner, had 2008's wreath on its door.
Panhellenic Association President Caroline Vastyan, PHA Risk Management Vice President Lauren Hatch and PHA Public Relations Vice President Lindsey Hoffman judged the competition.
Vastyan said the judging criteria included inside and outside decorations, creativity, neatness and the amount of canned food collected.
"This year I kind of wanted to add a twist," Schornheuser said. "Add the philanthropic kick to it."
Schornheuser said he added a canned food drive portion to the competition. More than 100 cans were collected and they will be donated to the Central Missouri Food Bank.
"I thought the event was good opportunity event to incorporate community service," Schornheuser said.
Phi Kappa Theta's house lights were damaged, he also said. Phi Kappa Theta President John Tate was unavailable for comment.
"Every year you see vandalism with lights," Schornheuser said. "Not only with fraternity houses, you see it everywhere."
It is a risk for chapters that put up lights, Schornheuser said, and it is a financial commitment to go out and buy decorations.
Schornheuser said planning for the event began in either late October or early November.
Former IFC Programming Vice President Rob Stretch left a pretty good groundwork for how to plan the event, Schornheuser said.
"It's got a great start and a great foundation," Greek Life Director Janna Basler said about the event.
Schornheuser said incoming IFC Programming Vice President Jeremy Johnson helped him pick up the canned food on the night of the competition.
"He walked around with me and we talked about some of the logistics of the event," Schornheuser said about the night of the event.
Schornheuser said they discussed including PHA in the competition. It's an event that has a lot of room to grow and improve.
"It's a little different with the sorority houses because a lot of those houses have people professionally put up their decorations and lights," Schornheuser said.
Schornheuser said fraternity members go out and decorate their own houses.
Sigma Nu member Nathan Bryant said it took a couple of weeks to prepare for the competition.
"We kept adding more and more," Bryant said. "We knew it was going to be good in the beginning. We're surprised at how well it turned out."
Bryant said it was mostly pledges who helped set up the decorations, with a couple of active members lending a hand.
"I'm the unofficial man behind the curtain," Bryant said. "I'm always behind the scenes getting things done."