By Katie Potzick
Greek Week on the University of Louisville campus is in full swing beginning March 31 and extending throughout the week.
Though Greek Week may conjure up visions of togas and hummus to some, it is actually a time for the Greeks to get together and celebrate what it means to be part of a Greek society.
The annual event encompasses competitions and bonding activities between the different fraternities and sororities on campus. Every year the Greeks try their best to out-perform their fellow Pan-Hellenic members and become the winner.
“I am excited for all the events. There are very few times during the year when everyone gets to come together,” said Jamie Giles, a sophomore political science and marketing major as well as Chi Omega vice president.
The week kicked off with a lunch at the Red Barn. The games begin tonight with a trivia contest done in quick recall style. Wednesday brings the much-anticipated Greek God and Goddess contest with a candidate nominated from every organization. Candidates will be judged in three rounds: an introduction round, including a toga that represents their personality, a skit round, and a question and answer round. On Thursday there will be Greek games and, to cap it all off, a Greek Ball.
However, Greek Week is not just about having a good time; it is also about giving back to the community and helping those in need through a philanthropy project.
Jacque Ramsey, a junior Chi Omega member and Greek Week co-chair, said, “This week has annually brought the Greek community together for a schedule filled with competitive spirit and community outreach.”
This year the philanthropy project is collecting school supplies to support Kosair’s “Tools for Schools” program. Each Greek organization is assigned with collecting school supplies item such as pens or pencils and as many books as they can.
Today, kids from a Title 1 school will be brought to campus where the Greeks will read to them from collected books and provide them with sack lunches.
One of the chairs of Greek Week, Tyler Lloyd, a sophomore biology and ecology major and Pike member, said “Greek Weeks on College campuses are a time for Greeks to come together and help out the community through community service and compete against each other in a fun a friendly environment. I believe, the community service really unites everyone.”
Throughout the week points are earned by the organizations for participation and placing in the events. At the end of the week the points are tallied up to determine a winner.
There is much more to Greek Week than winning or losing; it’s about uniting and having fun as a Greek community.
“Although Greek week isn’t as big at our school as it is at other schools, it is a good time for Greek morale and having all the Greeks together,” said Giles.
“It is a great way of showcasing some of the most involved and dedicated Greeks to this university.”
