Collegio Online

Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: Front Page

Media Credit: Doug Graham Members of various fraternities take part in a water balloon fight, the last event of the Greek Games. Representatives from every sorority and fraternity took part in the games, which are held each year.

Media Credit: Doug Graham Alpha Sigma Alpha members fight against an opposing sorority during a fierce game of tug of war during the Greek Games, held Tuesday afternoon, April 15. The tug-of-war was the first game of the event, followed by a pie eating contest and a relay race.

A tug of war, a pie-eating contest, obstacle course and a water-balloon fight followed by a cookout highlighted the Greek Games on Tuesday at Gorilla Village.

Crowds cheering on their fellow team members during the first event, the tug of war, was the first sign the games had begun. The Greek Games are one of several events in the weeklong Greek Week celebration.

Coordinators have been planning the games since January.

"Communications to the chapters to get a lot of people together and agree on set rules to make everything fair has been the hardest part of planning," said Pan-Hellenic chair Ashley Dugan, sophomore in marketing.

Dugan said that about $400 was donated to the event for supplies and the barbecue.
For the tug of war, a mob of students in bright matching shirts called attention to a long rope over University Lake.

Zach Whitehurst of Lambda Chi Alpha was one of the first in the lake.

"No one else wanted to be in front, so I stepped up," said Whitehurst, freshman in construction management. "We lost, though, and I'm soaking wet. I feel cold about it."
Pi Kappa Alpha member Jason Berve willingly dived into the lake to save the rope after another team lost and refused to go in.

"The ground conditions were more favorable to the west side of the lake," said Berve.
When teams had to change bank sides to compete again, they got stuck on the only bridge across the lake because most of the crowd was watching from atop the bridge.

Some women of Sigma Sigma Sigma became frustrated with the tug of war after losing on the west bank.

"I'm too competitive for this game and I don't like to lose," said Kait Kruse, sophomore in premed. "It won't happen again."

Organizers realized that there was no traction on the west bank and it was muddier than the east bank.

"It's hard when problems arise when stuff is uncontrollable," said Dugan. "It's all good, though, because it gets the whole Greek community out together to have fun together and still have competition."
Alpha Gamma Delta and TKE won first place in the tug of war by never losing and falling into the lake. Alpha Gamma Delta members chanted their sorority cheer 'What's up, Gams?' after winning.

"I feel so dirty and pretty tired because my muscles hurt," said Amanda Walker, sophomore in nursing. "It feels amazing to win, but it was all from the other Alpha Gams."

Back flops and a few drenched students later, the whole Greek community crossed Joplin Street, stopping traffic to continue the games in the Oval.

Crowding around two tables, onlookers watched the second event, a pie-eating contest.

Contestants didn't feel that the chocolate flavor made the pie taste better.

"It would have been good if I didn't shove it down my throat," said Alpha Sigma Alpha member Melissa Skelly, junior in international business and Spanish. "I'm an amateur, so I don't feel too bad about losing."

TKE again took first place along with the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.

During the third event, the obstacle course held in the Oval, each team had to unwrap and chew three pieces of gum to blow a 5-inch diameter bubble.

Blowing a bubble became the longest leg in the event and some said the most difficult.
"The chewing gum was really hard," said Alpha Sigma Alpha's Katie Shaul, freshman in commercial graphics. "I thought my jaw was going to fall off."

Once completed, competitors had to tag team members in the three-legged race portion. There was a twist, though: One person had to balance an egg on a spoon.

Some people liked this leg of the relay the best.

"I just think it's really funny to watch boys do a three-legged race because you can tell that the boys don't get it as well as the girls do," said Erinn Mendon, junior in political science and the event's sponsor chair.

On the next leg of the tag-team match, competitors had to put on shorts, a tie-dyed shirt and sweatband to hula-hoop. After finishing, that team member ran to tag a person on a small skateboard. The skateboarder had to ride backward, only using hands and feet to push.

Because of the skateboard's size, teams chose wisely on who would be the skateboarder.

"I almost fell off in the middle because it wobbled so bad," said Pi Sigma Kappa member Sam Roberts, senior in commercial graphics.
Alpha Sigma Alpha and Pi Kappa Alpha had the shortest times for the relay and earned first place.

The water balloon fight was just for participation points for the games. Five girls from each sorority ran to a basket full of water ammunition and soaked each other in less than two minutes. The boys, however, decided not to wait for the organizers to start the game, and began the fight on their own. The water balloon fight ended with leftover eggs from the relay.
One student got hit twice with eggs popped by his pledge.

"To me the water balloons were the most fun, to him, the eggs," said Erik Ostby, sophomore in automotive. "It got me right in the wallet, but it's good gel for my hair."

So, with another trek across Joplin Street, the games concluded with a barbecue in Gorilla Village.

The Greek Games reminded some of a greater purpose than tug of war.

"The opportunity to come together and remember what Greek is about," said Alpha Gamma Delta's Kaitlin Weddum, junior in business management and marketing.

Others said that the games allowed them to meet people.

"I heard Air Band is fun, but as far as socializing with all the other sororities and fraternities, this is the best event this week," said Katie Shaul.

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