Greek Week Edition of Letters

LETTERS IOWA STATE GREEK COMMUNITY

GREEK WEEK 2013

GREEK WEEK EDITION

THIS EDITION LETTERS GREEK WEEK 2013

4

WAVE YOUR FLAG

6

GREEK WEEK EVENTS

8

GREEKS GIVE SERVICE

10

A GREEK GETAWAY

12

GREEK WEEK TOURNATMENTS

Greek Week Pride

Check out the competition.

introducing the GREC TEAM STAFF INEKE ARMSTRONG BRICE BALLENTINE

Check out the competition!

ANNA MCCONNELL

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GREEK OLYMPICS

ANDREA DVORAK

No logical traning required.

DAVID GARDNER

18

GREEK WEEK SPIRIT

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GREEK ALUMNI ALIANCE

LAUREN HAYES

The Pre-Vespers ceremony & The Alliance

Collegiate Panhellenic Council tvermeer@iastate.edu

JUSTIN MATTINGLY VP Public Relations

Interfraternity Council justinm8@iastate.edu

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Advertising/Marketing Brice@iastate.edu Writer annam@iastate.edu Writer apdvorak@iastate.edu Writer dwg@iastate.edu Design lahayes@iastate.edu

CAITLIN HIGGNS

Advertising/Marketing chiggins@iastate.edu

JOHN KLUMPP

Advertising/Marketing jfklumpp@iastate.edu

MIKAYLA LAHAYE

Design/Marketing mslahaye@iastate.edu

KILEY PAWLAK

Advertising/Marketing kpawlak@iastate.edu

DIRECTORS TAYLOR VERMEER VP Public Relations

Writer inekea@iastate.edu

KRISTIN PETERSON

Writer kristinp@iastate.edu

KARLI SANDOS

Design/Photography ksandos@iastate.edu

AMELIA THORNE SUZY CAFFOE

Writer amthorne@iastate.edu Writer scaffoe@iastate.edu GW 2013 3

wave your flag

greek week pride Krisitn Peterson

Every year a week comes around that captivates the Greek Community. A week in which every conversation leads to Lip Sync, Polar Bear Plunge, collecting change and box tops, can sculptures, preparing for tournaments, letter shirts, and love of pairings. This majestic week I am referring to is Greek Week.

With all the events and all the things that preoccupy Iowa State students’ minds and time, what is it that makes Greek Week any different?

My theory: pride.

Pride, not to be confused with it’s negatively connoted counterpart- ego, is an important part of what makes the Greek Community so near and dear to those who choose to be a part of it. Greek Week is a week where Greeks can show their chapter, the community and visitors why they are proud to be Greek.

Greek Week has many similarities to the Olympics, not “Greek Olympics” which showcases silly and fun events like egg jousting and bed races, a beloved part of Greek Week, but the actual, once-every-four-years Olympics. A sign of international cooperation and good faith, the Olympics have long been a symbol of world unity.

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Although not on an international scale, Greek Week also focuses on the unity of the Greek Community and the fact that although people join different chapters, we are all a part of something bigger. This year this was encompassed by the theme “No matter the Letters, we’re all Greek Together.”

Greek Week, like the Olympics, allows people to showcase a variety of skills. Whether it be artistic talent through banners, athletic ability in tournaments, dance in Lip Sync or Pop Culture knowledge in Quiz Bowl, Greek Members compete to show off their skills. It gets competitive, but in the end, chapters congratulate chapters for their victories, help each other up after sports mishaps, and cheer on their friends.

One member of the Greek Community compared her first Greek Olympics to a family reunion. The whole community shows up with their pairing but all the groups emerge and members of each chapter are excited to see their friends through out the community.

That is a major part of what Greek Week is all about.

In the end, victory is a goal but most members will tell you that, win or lose, trophies or not- Greek Week is still a week they look forward to each year.

Isn’t that why Greeks dig through their closets to find letters to wear everyday and lug around big flags for their pairings? Is that not why people dedicate countless hours to co-chairing, painting, dancing, and cheering on our pairing? Why we are eager to “throw what we know” for letters and chant our pairings as we chant “USA” at Olympic events. The awards are great but at the end of the day, it’s all about pride in the chapter and pride in the community.

Through Greek Week, Greeks get to show that they live out the values and pillars of the community. It helps to form leadership through co-chairing, friendships though pairings, philanthropy through penny wars and Polar Bear Plunge, and Scholarship through Quiz Bowl. Any time a chapter represents the Greek pillars- whether it be during a specific week or notthey are contributing to Greek pride.

So the pride for our chapters and community carries on and at the end of the week we all throw off our jerseys, bro-tanks, and letter shirts and suit up (or badge attire up) and head to Vespers with heads held high. We cheer on our individual accomplishments and the accomplishments of the Greek Community because at the end of the day, we are proud to be Greek and “No matter the Letters, we’re all Greek together.”

GW 2013 5

greek

EVENTS

block parties andrea dvorak

What is the best way to finish off the week? The week, which senior Paul Dudley of FIJI describes as “the best week of the year, even better than Christmas!” With Greek Getaway and block parties of course! Block parties occur annually on the Friday of Greek Week, as the beginning of a great opportunity-filled weekend for the students attending Greek Getaway. This year, there were six block parties held at different fraternities in the community. A few of these parties exhibited their Greek Week bonds of fraternal friendship by collaborating parties among pairings.

The parties exhibited a variety of fun themes and activities for students to enjoy. Sigma Phi Epsilon celebrated with a “carnival” theme featuring pie tosses, dunk tanks, and corn dogs. At the Sigma Chi location, Acacia and Alpha Gamma Delta also collaborated to put on a “rockstar” party serving the energized beverage, along with cotton candy, a rave, and a booth with information about each chapters’ philanthropy.

At the Delta Tau Delta facility, there was a live rock concert and s’mores in a fun, lantern-lit patio setting. At the FIJI facility, the theme was “jungle party” with a jungle dance party, chalk, and “wild animals” as special guests.

FIJI and Delta Chi collaborated with Beta Theta Pi who held a sunglass-giveaway booth. At the Lambda Chi Alpha facility, the men hosted their hourly Thriller dance where they wow-ed the crowds with their Michael Jackson moves. The final block party was located at the Beta Sigma Psi facility. This year was their first time participating in block parties, and the “cyclone spirit” theme was quite a hit featuring nachos, tailgate games, as well as the cyclone football canon. Talking to senior Jake Allen, a brother of Beta Sigma Psi, he briefly spoke of how it was their first block party and they are trying to better socially establish themselves in the Greek Community because they don’t feel as if they are a part of the circle yet, so the Beta Sig men are very excited to be involved.

Greek Week is one of the best times of the year. It is a time for everyone in the Greek Community to come together and celebrate what being Greek is truly about. We would not be able to have a Greek Week if it was not for the wonderful individuals on Greek Week Central. These members put in a lot of hours of their valuable time to make sure that we as participants have the best experience possible on a very busy weekend. Greek Week Central is the driving force behind community service, lip sync, tournaments, spirit, and Olympics. The members of central really embodied the theme of Greek Week, no matter the letters we are all Greek together.

when asked what greek week means to him, General co-director matt sheyko said:

Just to have this week where “everyone puts aside their letters

and just celebrates being Greek.

Matt sheyko

”

brice ballentine

A “Change” in Greek Week This year, Greek Week had a few differences from the previous year. One of the major changes was the addition of Penny Wars to take the place of Can Drive. Instead of collecting pop cans, students collected pennies for their pairing. Pairings could also add silver coins in order to deduct points from other pairings.

As a result, Ames banks ran out of pennies and the Greek Community contributed nearly $10,000 to charities such as the Children’s Miracle Network and other local charities such as CASA. “I think that penny wars was a good idea and a good replacement for Can Drive,” said Maggie Gehrls, Greek Week Aide Coordinator.

The best week of the “year, even better than Christmas! ” paul dudley

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GW 2013 7

greeks

GIVE SERVICE All-Greek Pizza Lunch Ineke Armstrong

Mandy Esteb and Holden Asmus,Vice Presidents of Philanthropy and Community Service for Collegiate Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council, held their All Greek Pizza Lunch on the Saturday of Greek Olympics.

“The lunch is a way for the whole Greek community to have a philanthropy and raise money for United Way,” says Esteb.

This all-Greek tradition raised $5,133.86 for United Way and had over 1700 people participate.

Polar Bear Plunge Caitlin Higgins

Polar Bear Plunge is just one of several community service events the Greek community at Iowa State participates in for Greek Week. All proceeds are donated to Special Olympics of Iowa, a foundation that sponsors special needs athletes. This year our community raised an astounding $135,744, this amount is enough to sponsor 270 athletes for an entire year. Participants who raised money for the event have the opportunity to “plunge” into Lake Laverne with their Greek Week pairing in outfits that match their theme. This event is one of the biggest ways our Greek Community gives back, every year more money is raised and more members participate in the plunge to show our appreciation for the athletes of Special Olympics Iowa.

Lauren Jensen, a freshman in Delta Zeta describes her experience at her first Polar Bear Plunge, “It was really fun getting to dress up and jump in the lake. Even better was knowing how we all came together to raise money for such a great cause and in the end how many peoples lives we changed in the process.”

During the event, visitors had the opportunity to watch Karaoke skits from various chapter pairings in Greek Week competition.

Competitors sang various hits and mash-ups in front of the campanile from Justin Bieber to a collection of 80s movie themes.

Performers came dressed for success: suited up, in their footie pajamas, or in various costumes found around the chapter.

Choreography was included, and some groups even created an overarching skit for their time on the stage.

Anna McConnell

“It is a partnership between the city and a number of organizations within the University,” she said.

Multiple student organizations including the Government of the Student Body and the Student Society of Landscape Architecture were involved in both getting the space recognized and designing the area. The Greek Alumni Alliance was also a key factor in the project.

Dr. Thomas Hill, Senior Vice President of Student Affairs at Iowa State, talked about starting small and how the push toward recognizing Greek Triangle started in 2010.

“It’s tangible evidence that when the city and University work together, we can do anything,” said Hill.

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Karli Sandos

Thursday, April 4th the Emerging Greek Leadership Council (EGLC) held a BBQ lunch on central campus. Open to all students and faculty of Iowa State, the five-dollar lunch included a pulled pork sandwich, chips, a cookie, and Red Bull or lemonade. Proceeds of the philanthropic event went to the Ames Emergency Residence Project, a local homeless shelter providing a safe place to stay for both individuals and families in Iowa.

“This is a good way for Greeks to come together and give back to Ames through the Ames Emergency Residence Project, we’re really showing our dedication to helping others, not just in our campus but also outside in the community,” said Dean VanEvery, freshman in Beta Theta Pi.

Ribbon cutting On Sunday, April 7 Mayor Ann Campbell arrived at the Greek Triangle to say a few words and cut the ribbon signaling the official recognition of the well-known space in the Greek Community.

Meal Under the Campanile

Blood Drive INEKE ARMSTRONG

Every semester, Iowa State University hosts one of the largest student run blood drives in the nation. This spring, it was held from March 25 to March 29 with an astounding number of students donating their time and blood to save lives. Students who were not able to donate came together and volunteered during the drive, helping the week long event run smoothly.

Greek Week utilizes this special event to spark a service oriented competition between chapters - seeing which pairing can donate the most. Outside of Greek Week, students who are not affiliated with a chapter are able to compete for their floors in the Residence Halls, and some have the opportunity to recieve extra credit for class.

“ It always feels good to give back! ” CORY Mongar

The Emerging Greek Leadership Council holds three big events each academic year: Meal Under the Campanile, Watermelon Fest, and Live Greek 365. Together, they work to build leadership skills as well as interfraternal camaraderie between members of the Greek Community. EGLC’s mission is mirrored in the Greek Week Theme, “No Matter the Letters We’re all Greek Together,”

“

[Meal Under the Campanile] brings a lot of young members from the Greek Community together to work towards the good of the Community.

”

Dean VanEvery, EGLC Co-President

GW 2013 9

a greek

getaway

Greek Getaway is more than just a fun weekend for high school students to check out what being greek is like, it’s an incredible recruitment tool for both sororities and fraternities.

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“During this weekend, we are able to bring in a large number of potential new members to an organized event where they have the opportunity to experience what greek life is like and more specifically what fraternities have to offer,” said Alex M., Vice President of Recruitment for the Interfraternity Council.

This year’s weekend brought in 729 high school and college students interested in the greek community. The weekend brought in 67 more participants than last year leaving the final numbers at 468 women and 261 men in attendance.

“I think it just gives women a taste of what we’re doing and what we have to offer,” said Mattea R.,Vice President of Recruitment for the Collegiate Panhellenic Council.

Presentations are given for both the men and women visiting for the weekend about Greek life in general and the recruitment processes. They are also given the opportunity to ask plenty of their questions and to get answers from current Greeks. “It definitely aided in their decision-making,” said Max W., a Rho Gamma this year. “They got to see the block parties and everything, but then just talking to us helped them to see what a regular day being greek is like rather than just big events.“

Spending the night at the different chapter facilities also allows potential new members to get to know the different personalities within the different chapters. Women are able to stay only one night, but men are able to stay for two nights and can choose if they would like to stay at one chapter both nights or to switch mid-experience.

“This is important to fraternities because it’s a time for us to break the stereotype,” said Alex M. “The potential new members we are trying to recruit get the opportunity to see what we really care about: philanthropy, community service, brotherhood, leadership, academics, and friendly competition.”

“The experience is good because they get to see every single different aspect of greek community,” said Mattea R. “We show them our different chapter facilities, community service through the pizza lunch, leadership through the different aspects, and then just the crazy amount of friendship in the community.Yes, there’s competition, but at the same time we all come together.”

“This is important to fraternities [and sororities] because it’s a time for us to break the stereotype.”

Alex m.

VP of Recruitment, IFC

Rho Gamma, Natalie S., believes Greek Getaway is a great opportunity for high school and college students to see the community in it’s most panhellenic state and when the different chapters spend the most time together.

The weekend itself is meant to focus on the experience and to introduce young men and women to the idea of the Greek community. However, many who come and experience the Greek Getaway weekend are sold on the idea of being a greek and better yet, being a greek at Iowa State.

“It peaks interest in girls that were unsure of whether or not they wanted to go greek and solidifies the girls that already did know,” said Janie L., a Rho Gamma this year.

After less than 48 hours of the sign-up link being open for Collegiate Panhellenic Formal Recruitment, 22 ladies had signed up for the weeklong process that takes place in August.

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greek week TOURNAMENTS

Karaoke On Tuesday and Thursday of Greek Week on Central Campus, crowds gathered on Central Campus just North of the Campanile to watch one of the most entertaining events: Karaoke.

Lauren Etscheidt (Alpha Gamma Delta) said, “My favorite part is getting to see all the different personalities of the performances!

I love how creative each pairing gets with their songs.” Amelia Medici (Delta Zeta) agreed, saying, “I love watching karoake because it’s great to see the creativity in the different performances and they are alawys very entertaining!”

swimming Taking the Gold in Swimming this year was the pairing of Sigma cubed; Sigma Kappa, Sigma Pi and Sigma Nu. Armed with a force of experienced swimmers the pairing of Sigma Kappa couldn’t be more excited about their win this year in Swimming.

One of the more popular groups was Sigma Kappa, who dressed up as grandmas.

Haley Amato (Sigma Kappa) said, “We chose ‘Grandmas’ because its a universal theme.

Everyone loves their grandma!” Lexia Bishop (Sigma Kappa) explained their outfits, “We got them from Goodwill.

But some pieces are from our actual grandmas!”

Having participated in the competition over the past five years, Brian Skalak, a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity, swam in the men's 50 backstroke and 200 free relay, ultimately winning the 200 meter relay to seal the win for Sigma Kappa. When asked if strategy played a role in his win Brian simply replied; “the only real strategy was configuring our relays and making sure that we had the fastest combination of swimmers that we could.” He went on to say that having an audience “definitely got me pumped up. It was great to have a bunch of my guys there cheering us on.”

Mikayla lahaye

Treds Football Chapter flags being waved around and fans going crazy in the stands only mean one thing: treds football! Each Greek Week pairing get together and play one of the most exciting and fast paced tournaments there is to offer. Treds gives pairings an opportunity to come together in some good fun competition. Aside form the turf burn from playing on the field at Lied Rec center, senior Lance Goettsch and a member of Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) states, “Treds allows us to participate with other fraternities in a game that most would consider as a brotherhood event.”

brice ballentine

“

Megan Boler (Pi Beta Phi) said her favorite part was “all the boy bands. Girls do a great job singing, but the guys are more entertaining.” joel magruder on the backstreet boys inspiration:

Tom McGee is unilaterally the most awesome karaoker and when he gets on stage he exudes so much confidence it makes women shudder.

Deepak Premkumar

“We feltloins.it in”our

”

Basketball

quiz bowl

Teams chanting, chapter flags flying and pairing signs raised high flooded Leid and State Gym during the two-night basketball tournament. Matt Swanson, a sophomore of Beta Theta Pi, was surprised by the fan support. “I was surprised how energetic the crowd was. I haven't played since high school, and it's really exciting to play in front of a crowd that is cheering for you. Extra motivation to perform,” said Swanson. A highlight for Swanson was, “Seeing our team hit a buzzer beater at the end of the first half of our first game. It was amazing. Serious swagger on that shot.”

This year’s Quiz Bowl featured five broad categories: Iowa State, History, TV & Movies, Literature, and Science. Abby Taggart (Chi Omega) said she did well at the TV & Movies and Literature, “I have an odd memory for that type of stuff. But I learned the most from the Iowa State category, even though I was a senior.”

(For example: Regular fare for Cyride. What is $1.25?) Kevin Duhrkopf (Acacia) said, “I was really good at the Iowa State category since I’m a STAR. A girl in Alpha Delta Pi who is also a STAR and I were getting all of them.”

Chi Omega freshman Katie Horstmann talks about her participation in her first Greek Week, “Our pairing came to support us in every game as we advanced throughout the tournament! It was so fun seeing them cheer and even just having them there! Our pairing has absolutely been the most fun this year!”

Some changes were made to the way Quiz Bowl was played to increase pairing participation. During final Jeopardy, the audience had the opportunity to look up the answer and text it to the participants. Questions were intentionally difficult- during preliminaries, one was ‘Who is the villain in the next Iron Man movie?’ (The Mandarin). Abby Taggart (Chi Omega) said, “It was a fun idea because Quiz Bowl isn’t the most exciting event and it got the crowd involved in the tournament. It’s fun to have the knowledge side of tourneys as well as the athletic.”

In the finals Tri Delta won against Alpha Delta Pi. Chi Omega beat Kappa Kappa Gamma for third place. kiley pawlak

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GW 2013 13

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greek

OLYMPICS

NO TRANING REQUIRED

BED RACES: A LASTING TRADITION One of the most beloved traditions of the seven-day celebration is the Olympic clash Bed Races! Each year, chapters put forth hours of effort into preparing for the race. Chapters believe the design of their cart or even the attire they wear could lead them to victory. No matter what, Bed Races are always an exciting competition and this year’s race proved to be no different as it was certainly a spectacle to behold.

“ We’returngonnato therunleft!fast”and

john klumpp

It was fantastic! It’s been a lot of fun.

”

Peter buchan & joel pudenz

tug-o-war

Before the race, some participants talked strategy. Corey Cazzato (Sigma Pi) said “Our strategy is to pull hard and to pull low.

We always have confidence.” Ross Albert, strongman for Alpha Tau Omega, is no stranger to the game: “I’ve been doing Tug-OWar for five years. It’s all about intensity.” Some participants, like Colten Fales (Acacia), were especially excited to be pulling for final, yelling “Yip! Yip!” loudly in celebration of a win.

The cheers and yells for Tug-O-War finals in front of Beta Sigma Psi are deafening, but the participants don’t hear anything. With unbreakable focus, the Olympians pull on the rope with all their might and dig their cleats into the ground beneath them, trying to gain traction. The lawn between the sidewalk and the street has been torn up 12 times before and would now be fit for gardening.

tug-O“warI’ve forbeenfivedoing years. It’s all about intensity. ”

Dingle Dangle Donut: It’s Harder Than It Looks It may not be one of the most exciting events, but it certainly is one of the most entertaining! Dingle Dangle Donut is more challenging than it appears to be and always draws a big crowd.

Dingle Dangle Donut is just one of the many friendly competitions of Greek Week. It takes a lot of strategy and determination to win this particular event. Chapter duos have to try to devour donuts hanging on a string and this is never an easy task.

Homer Simpson “ Thinkandlikechow down! ”

john klumpp

kyle bangston

Ross Albert

alex eppel

dizzy dizzy duck canoe race Canoe races on the Saturday morning of Greek Olympics were a wonderful way to start off an exciting day. All the duos from each house were ready to go with their handcrafted canoes. The rowing team of Kappa Delta, Sarah Kornovich and Eli Krambeer looked solid racing and afterwards were asked about their race. “I didn’t really want to go for a swim in the middle of the lake at 9 in the morning,” says Kornovich referring her nervousness the morning of the race.

“Besides my partner, I think its awesome how many people are up this early on a Saturday.

I felt ecstatic. It’s a good race, and it’s over before you know it,” says Krambeer, a member of Phi Gamma Delta, when reflecting on the race.

Amelia Thorne

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Dizzy Duck is a simple, timeless Olympic Tradition in Greekland: run down a hill, spin around a bat ten times, then run back up the hill with two pitchers of water working in a team to fill a larger container. This event builds endurance, encourages perseverance, promotes group encouragement, and is only for those of strong mind and sound body who don’t care if they look a little bit silly on the front lawn of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Pairings showed up to this event as early as half an hour in advance to get a good view of the wipeouts, slips, and successes of dizzy duck teams. Between timed trials, the pairing of Pi Beta Phi, Phi Kappa Psi, and Theta Chi played music to get the crowd pumped up as they mingled and talked strategy. An interesting rule that led to one team’s disqualification this year was that all Olympians must wear close-toed shoes.

This rule was both tactical – peep-toed pumps might look cute but are terrible for running quick circles – and safety-conscientious to avoid any cuts from the stands that grounded the opponents’ equipment.

Likely victors of this event include: ballerinas, rodeo clowns, ice skaters, bull riders, and NASA astronauts, but any member was encouraged to participate. To practice for dizzy duck, competitors would spin around practice bats, and then quickly navigate from point A to point B as quickly as they could.

In the end, only one team had the fastest time but all groups left with a smile on their face and pride for the jovial nature of our community in their hearts.

GW 2013 15

egg joust: better, safer than medieval days An egg battle to the death (okay not really), jousting takes place when one member of the pairing sits atop the shoulders of another and uses a newspaper wand to break an egg attached to the opponents’ base-athlete’s forehead via a nylon. Using lightning-quick reflexes that one can only assume were cultivated through hours of whack-a-mole as a child, the ladies attempt to hit the eggs atop the heads of their opponents in a wild frenzy. As added difficulty, members of Greek Week Central use their bodies to create a shrinking barrier to force teams closer together.

This bracket-style tournament draws a large crowd, filling windows, porches, and all surrounding ground space well before the event even begins. Many groups leave disappointed and covered in egg, but for one victorious couple, it’s all worth it.

skin the snake

karli sandos

If you have never seen the ever amusing teamwork competition, Skin the Snake, I strongly encourage you to next Greek Week.

If you don’t know the phenomenon, each team will line up in a straight line, and then go through each other’s legs. Once the whole line is on the ground, the team has to reverse until all are back on their feet. The teams are competing for the lowest time.

Sounds fairly easy right? Wrong! The main challenge is not to break the chain, or the team has to restart.

“

”

maura matney

fruit of the loom Fruit of the Loom is one of the most up close and personal of Greek Week events. With a race to pass bananas between the legs, cherries from mouth to mouth, oranges under the chin and so on, pairing race to the finish to see who can pass all their fruit most efficiently. “I had the cherry and my partner and I set the weirdness aside and put the team on our backs and went for the gold.” said Alex Eppel, of Phi Delta Theta.

Mitch conrad pHI kAPPA pSI

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“I think that Fruit of the Loom is always entertaining to watch because of the different fruits that are used and the techniques to pass them from one participant to the next.

My friends and I laughed a lot watching the event, said Gina Patterson, of Pi Beta Phi.

“

Usually a fun treat for passers-by on our campus to enjoy on their way to the Library, Greek Week brought Live Action Role Play (LARP) to our Olympic Lineup. New to the Iowa State Olympic Games in 2011, LARPing is played on the front lawn of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity after great preparation – about twenty minutes’ worth at minimum.

Play consists of four-man teams dressing up in their fiercest war attire – bonus points in the hearts of many if face paint is involved – who humanely attack each other with foam weapons in a large pen. This bracket-style tournament really draws a crowd, with heats of two teams at a time busting limbs off of their opponents.

Limbs are ‘lost’ when struck with a foam weapon, but a player is not out until they have been hit in the chest, at which point they lay ‘dead’ on the ground where they had met their demise.

I feel it’s the most challenging event.

it was interesting “ I thought how people could work together to create such a unique chain! ”

larp: Live Action Really Phantastic

Basically, players use the perseverance of The Black Knight from Monty Python to continue playing without arms or legs, dragging themselves across the area of play. Heats continue until one team is a certain victor, at which time everyone high fives and moves on to the All-Greek Pizza Lunch or Egg Joust. karli sandos

LARPing is enter“taining because of

”

the ferocity involved.

brandon trent

on being a human shield at egg joust:

I got a little nervous some times, but it’s a fun Olympic so it’s worth the little risk; we just want to make sure everyone had a fair round. [Egg Joust] is always a crowd favorite, we don’t mind working it at all.

”

Maggie Gehrls Greek Week Aide Coordinator Alpha Gamma Delta

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BANNERS

When you walk through Phi Gamma Delta be sure to look for cat prints. Kappa Delta Spirit Co-Chair explained, while working on the pairing banner a cat ended up walking on the banner tracking paw prints across the banner and all through the house. Paw prints aren’t the only thing causing havoc during pairing banner painting.

Austin Javellana, a sophomore of Phi Delta Theta tells about his banner painting experience, “We painted our banner on the deck of Phi Delta Theta, but with the really long winter, there was still some snow on the deck. Regardless, we put a tarp down to protect the deck from paint but in doing so compacted the snow into ice with how much we were walking on it. This turned into quite the show as walking to the banner meant walking over a sheet of ice and needless to say, some spills were made- both person and paint.”

Kappa Kappa Gamma took first place in pairing banner with their video game themed banner. Delta Zeta was second place sticking with the overall theme of ‘No Matter the Letters We’re All Greek Together’ theme, by incorporating all the pairings. Kappa Alpha Theta was third with their cut out of Ms. Frizzles Magic Schoolbus theme banner.

KILEY PAWLAK

Community BANNER

This year there was a new addition to Greek Week known as the community banner. All 13 pairings gathered at Beta Sigma Psi to paint a 3x3 square based on the four values of the Greek Community: philanthropy, scholarship, leadership, and friendship.

This event was to bring our beloved Greek Community together and show, No Matter the Letters We’re All Greek Together.

VESPERS AWARDS CEREMONY The SAGA, Oscars and Emmys are to Hollywood as Vespers is to the Greeks here at Iowa State University. Over 2,500 members of the Greek community filed into Stephen’s auditorium the Sunday after Greek week for the annual event. For many,Vespers is a ceremony to reflect on the many memories and accomplishments achieved over the course of the academic year. Awards ranging from Academic Scholarship to Overall Greek Spirit are given to individuals and individual chapters. In all, the evening is a time to reflect on the past year and recognize outstanding contributions to our Greek Community.

greeks show SPIRIT

mikayla lahaye

LIP SYNC

nice to see everyone interacting with one another. “ ItOnewas pairing even brought Oreos and shared with everyone else who was working. ” Meg Young

Since January, co-chairs and participants have put a great many hours into Lip Sync competition. Three months, twelve weeks, nearly 40 practices all dedicated to short skits showcasing the four pillars of Iowa State’s Greek Community. Early on, song choices and themes were discussed and submitted to Greek Week Central for approval (we like to keep it G here).

Fast-forward to the last Tuesday of March, first cuts. Thirteen pairings dressed up, teased their hair, painted their faces, and marched quietly to CY Stephens auditorium for First Cuts. At the end of an evening of performances, pairings waited patiently for the announcements, refreshing Twitter as quickly as their thumbs could work.

A little before 1:00, Greek Week Central announced that the pairings of Chi Omega, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Gamma Delta, Kappa Delta, and Delta Zeta would be moving forward in competition to perform the following Friday at finals.

Filled with Potential New Members of the Greek Community, CY Stephens held the Lip Sync and Karaoke Finals Friday night of Greek Week. Between the five skits, three different Karaoke performances took place where members of different pairings dressed up as old women, 80s movie stars, and Iowa State’s most infamous boy band.

Between performances, the crowd all sang along to – or in my case, poorly belted – classics such as Sweet Caroline, did the wave, and chatted up members nearby. Throughout the competition, they all proved that No Matter the Letters, We’re all Greek Together.

Karli sandos

Brice Ballentine

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greek alumni

The Alliance SUZY CAFFOE

The Greek Alumni Alliance (GAA) is a nonprofit organization that serves to provide long-term viability and growth of the Iowa State University Greek Community, and advocate on behalf of the Greek community to entities such as the university, local municipality, as well as other entities as necessary and provide leadership and support to the Office of Greek Affairs. GAA is very involved in the Greek Community, and have done a great deal to help improve Greek and University life. Below is a list of the accomplishments GAA has done in past years.

alliance

Pre-Vespers

As Greek Week was coming to a close, Greek Alumni Alliance held a Pre-Vespers Greek Leadership Reception following the Greek Triangle Project Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Sunday, April 7th in the Foyer of Stephen’s Auditorium. Members from all governing councils, chapter presidents, house directors and Greek alumni were all in attendance.

This reception was to congratulate the leaders of the Greek Community on all of the hard work over the past year, as well as to bring the alumni and representatives from the community together. Dr. Pamela Anthony was the featured speaker of the event, sharing what the Greek Community means for Iowa State.

Dr. Pamela Anthony, the Dean of Student Affairs for Iowa State University, received her bachelor’s in Speech Pathology at James Madison University, her master’s at the University of Georgia, and her Ph.D. at Georgia State University. Dr. Anthony has extensive experience in student crisis intervention, judicial affairs, student activities, and Greek life.

"Dr. Anthony's speech embodied many of the ideals that I know I hold dear within the Greek community and I believe that a lot of other members feel the same way.

Her speech to me was just a reminder of all the great and exciting things that we get to experience, and how those experiences drive choices for our future, as well as equipping us with lifelong friends along the way. Dr. Anthony's speech was also a reminder of how lucky we are to have such a great and supportive Greek community, and that this experience really is one where you get back what you put into it, which I'm realizing more and more every day that I hold the position LETTERS

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of President." Annie Block, President of Kappa Kappa Gamma, said.

The Greek Alumni Alliance (GAA) at Iowa State University is an incorporated organization with membership of fraternity and sorority alumni that provide leadership and support to the chapters in the ISU Greek Community.

For more information, contact the GAA President, Steve Jones.

The hard work of Greek Alumni Alliance and the efforts to reach out to our Greek Community did not go unnoticed.

Patrick Benson, president of Pi Kappa Alpha, is just one of the many leaders in attendance that wanted to show appreciation. “Thank you for putting together such a special event. I felt privileged to be a part of it.”

SUZY CAFFOE

The executive committee Steve Jones, President, Delta Tau Delta (not pictured)

GAA Past Accomplishments Successfully lobbied ISU for 60 additional Residence Hall contract breaks at 15% of unused room and board (2005) Successfully lobbied ISU Human Resources to offer all Greek Chapter staff working more than 13 hours per week health insurance program (2006)

Ellen Chesnut,Vice President, Kappa Kappa Gamma

Worked with City of Ames to establish a 10-year implementation for installation of fire sprinkler systems in Greek Chapter houses with tax abatement incentive (2006) Developed and financed “wow factor” direct mailing campaign to promote Greek System to the academically top 50% of incoming freshmen and transfer students (2006) Provided giveaways for summer orientation to incoming freshmen (2007)

Ron Hallenbeck, Treasurer, Theta Delta Chi

Started Annual meeting of GAA leadership and undergraduate Greek leaders with President Geoffroy and Dr. Hill to discuss issues important to the Greek Community (2005) Successfully lobbied ISU Administration and Student Affairs for funding to hire a full-time Assistant Director for Greek Affairs – position first held by Katie Mott and now by Katy Cran (2009) Organized and funded the annual reception for Chapter leaders prior to Vespers at CY Stephens Auditorium (2010) Provided bricks identifying each of the fraternity and sorority chapters for the new Greek Triangle project (2011) Created Greek Alumni List Serve to provide method to share “best practices” online between all Corporation Boards, Housing Directors and/or Chapter Advisors (2011) Provided financial support for publishing of specific page in ISU Daily updating students on the Greek System (2011)

Jami Larson, Past President, Delta Upsilon

If you have any questions, or would like more information, feel free to contact Steve Jones, President of GAA, at sejones@huxcomm.net.

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tHANK yOU for a great spring semester...

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LETTERS GREEK WEEK 2013

a publication of the Greek Relations Executive Council