April 7, 2015

By Karlee Renkoski

Every April, MU’s fraternities and sororities participate in a three-week period known as Greek Week. During this time, students celebrate the values of Greek Life by holding a variety of events that aim to benefit local and national organizations.

This year’s Greek Week will begin at 2 p.m. April 12 with a kick-off barbecue and a game of campus-wide capture the flag.
Junior Jamie Stanley is an events leader on the Greek Week Steering Committee. She said she and her fellow committee members have been working hard to ensure these weeks in April are ones to remember.

“Greek Week is the entire Greek community coming together to serve, unite and celebrate being a Greek student at Mizzou,” Stanley said. “It’s not just about celebrating your own letters but recognizing the diversity and also the similarities that we all, as Greek students, share.”

Greek Week traditionally consists of a blood drive, intramural sports, “Fling” and special events, such as Trivia Night. All of the MU Greek chapters are paired together to participate in the various events.

“We had a hybrid-random pairing system, which allowed for the chapters to still have a say while also randomizing the pairings,” Stanley said.

Each pairing is scored throughout Greek Week, and points are gained by participation, following the rules and the records received during games. However, points can also be deducted during events; these guidelines are stated in the Greek Week 2015 Rulebook.

For 2015, the Events Committee has added a few new activities for Greek students to compete in against one another.

“This year we’ve added a fifth sport: dodgeball,” Stanley said. “The community seems extremely excited for this addition, as are we. As for the kick-off event, we’ve added in capture the flag, which will take place in the morning across campus.”

In addition to the intramural sports, Fling, a show including skits, videos and other performances, is also an aspect in which groupings can receive points. Fling will begin at 6 p.m. for three consecutive days, April 20 through April 22, at the Missouri Theatre.

The blood drive will be held from April 14 through April 16 in the MU Student Recreation Complex.

Junior Emily Lewis, who is on the Blood Drive Committee, has been working with an American Red Cross representative to finalize the blood drive’s details.

“The rule actually states that you must have 20 percent of your grouping volunteer to work the blood drive,” Lewis said in an email. “We ask that to help keep everything running smoothly, given the size of the drive.”

Lewis also agreed that the cooperation of Greek Life and the American Red Cross is extremely beneficial.

“Additionally, it is another way to incorporate service into Greek Week,” Lewis said. “Our goal is to collect 1,800 units.”
During [last year’s](http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2014/4/23/2014-greek-week-wraps-awards/) Greek Week, MU fraternities and sororities raised over $70,000. This year, their goal is no less.

Each Greek grouping must collect specific items in specific quantities for their chosen charities, and in some cases, volunteer their time. The time spent and items collected during Greek Week will support many different charities. Some of these charities include, but are not limited to: Caring for Columbia, the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, Heart of Missouri CASA and Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center.

Freshman Mary Cate Connell of Chi Omega said she is excited to cheer on her sisters and Greek pairings in the various competitions.

“Although I am not a part of any intramural teams, I cannot wait to support my sisters from the sidelines during sports games and be cheering them on during Fling,” she said.

Connell said she thinks it will be an exciting week participating in this tradition, but she also adds that it is an important time for all fraternities and sororities.

“I think Greek Week is vital to the Greek community, because I feel that sometimes we get so caught up in our own fraternity or sorority that we forget we are a part of something bigger,” Connell said. “I think that Greek Week also gives us a chance to get to know members of our own sorority or fraternity.”

Stanley said planning Greek Week took a lot of work. However, she said the committee and Greek students alike are ready and waiting in expectation for the upcoming events.

“The most exciting aspect of Greek Week is watching all of the chapters’ hard work pay off throughout the events we hold,” Stanley said. “We are all extremely excited for this upcoming month. The atmosphere during games, at Fling … there’s nothing quite like it.”