[TSteven]

Greeks prep for ‘Greek Sing’
By Robert Oakley
Wildcat Weekly

Greeks around campus are counting down to their big day; it’s not graduation, but Greek Sing. The annual event, hosted by Chi Omega and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, will be held on March 5. This is the most competitive event in the Greek community, especially with sororities.

Trying to interview a woman in a sorority about Greek Sing is about as easy as pulling teeth. Sororities create fake themes to tell people—so on the big day their performance is a surprise, although songs are nearly always repeated.

When I asked these women about their songs they became defensive, and one anonymous Delta Gamma jokingly said, “I’d tell you but I’d have to kill you.” Sororities practice for this event generally between one and two months; however an anonymous Alpha Delta Pi revealed “some sororities practice before Christmas break.”

This event is taken very seriously among sororities on UK’s campus. Practicing the singing and dancing becomes a Top Secret mission. A select few organizations have hired choreographers to teach them a routine. On the opposite end of the Greek Sing mindset is the fraternities.

Sororities use this as a form of bragging rights, while fraternities use it as a way to let loose and have a great time. Fraternities also keep the songs secret, but the only difference is that it is a secret to men in the fraternity as well. Typical fraternities plan the entire routine in either one or two weeks prior to the event.

Jay Shooter, an undeclared Sigma Pi sophomore, laughs and said, “We try our best.” It is really an excuse to get on stage and have a great time. Adam Strouth, a History Education sophomore, and also a FIJI, says the best part is “being on stage and hearing screaming and yelling.”

Greek Sing is the number-one ranked Greek event on campus. It is the only event that has one hundred percent Greek participation. According to Leslie Kirkpatrick, a Chi Omega who is responsible for Greek Sing, Memorial Coliseum has sold out the last three years. Last year this event generated over twenty thousand dollars that was donated to the Make a Wish Foundation.

There will be five well-known people on campus judging the contest. In the past there have been teachers, coaches, and other well-known UK employees. On Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m. when Greek Sing 2005 begins, the hard work over the past months or days, depending on who is on stage, will show the school its ability to mimic and in most cases, repeat pop culture.

I would recommend going, the seven dollar ticket goes to charity and the audience gets to see either a choreographed dance routines from sororities or a group of fraternity guys having a great time on stage, which means a comical performance.

This article was originally posted on March 03, 2005