GAMMA final competition to take place tonight in Greektown

Proceeds of the GAMMA Jam will benefit the McCambridge Center.

By Travis Cornejo

Published Sept. 18, 2009

The Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol Jam Finals will take place Friday in Greektown on an open stage near the Alpha Kappa Lambda house.

This marks the first year for the GAMMA Jam. The preliminary competition took place Sept. 15 and 16 at the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts.

"This replaced an annual Battle of the Bands," Tri-Director Brad Minkow said.

In the first two nights of preliminary competition, GAMMA Jam drew a crowd of about 2,100 people. The Battle of the Bands typically drew around 100, Minkow said.

The proceeds of GAMMA Jam go toward the McCambridge Center. Entry fees, T-shirt and projected ticket sales total around $1,500. Approximately $5,000 has been raised just from sponsorships from individual Greek chapters, Minkow said.

Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Kappa Theta, Sigma Chi and Sigma Pi are all chapters that raised more than $500. Alpha Epsilon Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Mu, Pi Beta Phi and Sigma Sigma Sigma also contributed.

Corporate sponsors include the Antioch Dog Hospital, the Tarlton Corporation, the Sam Spady Foundation, Schaeffer Specialized Lubricant and Shakespeare's Pizza.

GAMMA has a service day at the McCambridge Center planned. It is an eight hour-long event with about 160 volunteers, Tri-Director Megan Hall said.

Hall and Minkow said GAMMA Jam is also intended to benefit the MU Greek community.

"We're not going to solve all the problems with drinking in the Greek community," Minkow said.

GAMMA Jam gave the Greek community an activity to do that did not involve alcohol, Hall said.

Wednesday's preliminary competition included dance performances and filler acts by Greek members between entries.

Music filled the theatre as both spectators and performers arrived. After Chi Omega Lauren Bertrand sang the national anthem, a video of Greek members dancing to The Chicken Dance was shown. Some other songs were played, and then the performances began.

The dance performances ranged from Pi Beta Phi's Alice in Wonderland routine to Phi Kappa Theta's routine set to music by Flo Rida.

The in between acts consisted of Chi Omega Paige Flores' original guitar composition, Kappa Alpha Theta Lizzie Fracica's rendition of "Embraceable You," which had the crowd snapping along, and others.

"Everyone did awesome," Chi Omega junior Tricia Vivona said. "It was so much fun."

Vivona was one of the Chi Omegas who performed that night. She said GAMMA Jam was a good way to raise awareness about GAMMA and a fun way to get everyone involved.

Pi Beta Phi freshman Megan Kamitsuka attended the event to support her sorority sisters and her best friend and roommate from another sorority house.

"I think it's a really great cause," Kamitsuka said of GAMMA.