Greek Week: Let the games begin

All of Cal Poly’s sorority and fraternity members are rolling up their sleeves for some competitive sporting and community service activities scheduled to take place during Greek Week, which begins today and ends next Tuesday, April 24.

Greek Week is “an opportunity for greek organizations to sort of display to the university and to the surrounding community the positive components to being involved in a greek community,” said director of Greek Affairs Eddie Dominguez.

During the week, all greek members will compete in sporting and service events as part of a team. Groups vie for the prized winner’s trophy by participating in each event and earning points.

Greek Week for fraternities and sororities “is like the Super Bowl for sports teams,” said Ryan Hesse, a plant protection science senior and Alpha Gamma Rho member.

Teams are comprised of members from one large fraternity or sorority paired with a medium-sized fraternity and a cultural greek sorority or fraternity.

Members will participate in a variety of sporting events on campus including swimming, bowling, dodgeball, football, arm wrestling and an eating contest.

“I’m going to eat a lot of hot dogs,” said Robert Sylvester, an agricultural business sophomore and Alpha Gamma Rho member.

Sylvester is a prime candidate to win the eating contest, which is scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. on Mott Lawn. Last year he placed second when he consumed seven and a half hot dogs in the allotted five minutes.

“The buns throw you off,” he said. Contestants typically dunk their hot dogs in water to facilitate consumption and settle the stomach, he added.

But fun in the sun isn’t the only thing Greek Week is about. In addition to team-building sporting contests, members will compete in service events designed to improve the San Luis Obispo community.

On Sunday, greek members will attend Service Day, when participants complete projects for nonprofit organizations in San Luis Obispo County, mostly within city limits. In past years, greek members have worked to clean up Woods Humane Center and weed gardens, Dominguez said. Last year, a group of students painted the inside of the Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter, a nonprofit organization that accommodates much of the homeless population in San Luis Obispo. This year’s Service Day locations are still being finalized, Dominguez said.

Greek members will also participate in Up Til’ Dawn, a letter-writing campaign in which students address and personalize letters asking for donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. The hospital is a world leader for research and treatment of diseases in children, primarily cancer. St. Jude is also unique in that patients are never asked to pay for their care.

Up Til’ Dawn is named “in memory of the parents who sit up all night long with their children,” Dominguez said.

Last year the Cal Poly greek system raised approximately $23,000 for St. Jude, Dominguez said. This year, Up Til’ Dawn will take place Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the University Union.

Greek Week will also feature a lip sync contest, which students can enter with a donation of either $2 or two cans of food for the Food Bank of San Luis Obispo. The contest will be held Thursday night in Chumash Auditorium at 7:30. Guest judges include Associated Students Inc. President Todd Maki and a University Police Department officer.

Teams will also vie against each other in Penny Wars, a week-long spare-change battle. Each team will be designated a jar to fill with coins throughout the week. Pennies earn points, whereas silver coins deduct. “If your team is in the lead, you want to put silver in your competitor’s jar,” Dominguez explained.

All proceeds from the Penny Wars will be donated to the Food Bank of San Luis Obispo, Dominguez said.

Greek Week will also sponsor a blood drive on Mott Lawn April 24.

Tonight, motivational speaker Michael Poll will appear in the Spanos Theatre at 6 and 7:30 p.m. to kick off Greek Week events. Poll is the author of several books that focus on getting a job after college and the importance of leadership.

All students are invited to attend Greek Week happenings and are encouraged to participate in service events.