First unified Greek Week kicks off

Students ate, music played, friends chatted and members of Omega Psi Phi stepped.

For the first time, the National Pan-Hellenic Council joined with the Alabama Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council for Greek Week, and the members of a traditionally black fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, entered the Greek Week Block Party cookout Sunday evening with a short step.

As the line for Full Moon Barbeque wrapped down Sorority Row, greek students of every race enjoyed the kickoff event together for the first time, relaxing, eating and listening to the live music.

"Greek Week is putting together a positive image of the greek system," Marquis Heath, president of Omega Psi Phi, said. "We are showing the community when it all comes down to it we can be together, promoting the idea we all promote."

Whitney Kupferer, the vice president of administration for the Alabama Panhellenic Association, is in charge of Greek Week this year, and said she is excited about incorporating all three greek councils to enjoy the benefits of greek life, which is the spirit of the week.

"This is a big, bold move for Alabama and a huge step for the greek community," Kupferer said. "We are overcoming history and showing what the future of the greek system should be."

In the fall, all three greek councils met together with the presidents of the sororities and fraternities to discuss plans for the year, and they decided it was not greek-like to exclude certain groups in events like Greek Week, Kupferer said.

Since that time, she said she has worked with Leron Gresham, the vice president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Patrick McCarroll, the vice president of the Interfraternity Council, to plan Greek Week to include the entire greek community for the first time.

Some greek students said they enjoyed having everyone at the cookout.

"It's the culmination of the entire greek system," said Ross Mullins, a freshman majoring in pre-law studies. "The cookout is bringing everyone together, which very rarely happens."

The block party kicked off this new era for the greek system with Southern traditions, Kupferer said. Barbecues and cookouts are something everyone in the South is accustomed to, she said, and it is a perfect way to start the week.

"Once you're out here with extraordinary people and delicious food - that's what it's really all about," said Curt Ford, a sophomore majoring in marketing.

While students enjoyed friends and food, the money from the cookout was going to a good cause, as well. Tickets were $7 per plate, Kupferer said, and Full Moon gave a good deal on the food they prepared for 2,500 students. Much of the proceeds, along with the rest of the money raised throughout the week, will go to three different charities: Laps for Cystic Fibrosis, Habitat for Humanity and the American Cancer Society. She said they plan to give close to $15,000 to each organization, which is $4,000 more than they gave last year.

"Being able to hang out with my friends in other fraternities and sororities is always a good time. Especially when it's for a good cause," said Ruth Tucker, a sophomore nursing major.

Greek Week is also a competition for sororities and fraternities to team up and compete in various competitions and community service activities, but it is better known as being the largest philanthropy event sponsored by the greek system, Kupferer said.

Each event costs between $5 and $15. All of the proceeds are divided amongst the charities.

All week, greek students will work with Habitat for Humanity of Tuscaloosa and the Children's Hands-On Museum. A blood drive for the American Red Cross will be held Thursday, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center.

Tuesday night will mark another first for Greek Week, with the Greek Scholarship Tailgate. All greek students who maintained a 4.0 grade point average last semester are invited to a catered tailgate prior to the UA baseball game, to celebrate their academic success, and will be joined by UA faculty members.

Following that, greek students are supporting Alabama athletics by wearing their fraternity or sorority letters to the Alabama baseball game against Mississippi Valley State at 6:30 p.m.

The Greek Olympics, one of the many competition events throughout the week, will be held on the Quad from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday. That evening, the SGA will team up with Greek Week to host the SGA Date Auction to raise money for SGA book scholarships. The auction will start at 10:30 p.m. at The Station with the Ryan Kinder Band playing.

There will also be a Greek Week banner competition Friday, in which banners will be hung from the sorority houses.

The winners of the banner competition and all of Greek Week will be announced at the A-Day football game Saturday. This is the first time they will announce the winners at the game, Kupferer said, but she thinks it will be a good new addition to the week.