Imagine you’re in a sorority or fraternity chapter at your university, and you have a week during your spring semester where you and your sorority sisters or fraternity brothers can enjoy a little friendly competition. Doesn’t that sound like a fun way to relieve the stress of college? Well, each spring semester at Ohio Northern University, the Greek community puts on Greek Week.
Greek Week is a week where every social sorority and fraternity comes together and hosts a plethora of fun events and activities for ONU students. Greek Week is a great way for the fraternity and sorority community to let loose and cheer on their fellow Greeks as they compete and earn points in hopes of being the Greek Week champs.
My name is Carly Bricker, and I am a senior environmental and field biology major in Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta). I have been a member since the fall semester of my freshman year, and I always look forward to Greek Week. There are staple events from year to year, as well as the occasional new addition, too. There’s the fan-favorite Greek Sing event, where chapters create their own song and dance routines, the ever-impressive Greek Week trivia, and so much more.
Greek Week is more than just a week of friendly competition—it has a deeper meaning than meets the eye. So, I took it upon myself to dig a little deeper. I sent a form out to my fellow Theta sisters, asking what Greek Week means to them. Specifically, I asked them what they look forward to most, their favorite event to participate in and watch, what makes Greek Week unique to them, and, lastly, how Greek Week has impacted their lives here at ONU.
It was no surprise that Greek Sing is the event that Thetas looked forward to the most. Almost everyone in the Greek community (and the student body, to boot) also loves this event as it brings the whole campus community together, not just those involved in Greek life at ONU.
Now, for my sister’s favorite events, I received a variety of answers from my sisters. Althea Plesants, a senior who majors in communications & media studies, said that making the banner is her favorite event because she “gets to spend quality time with her sister.” To give some background, each sorority and fraternity draws or paints a banner that corresponds to the overall theme of that year’s Greek Week. It’s a great opportunity for each chapter to showcase its artistic talents.
Another of my Theta sisters, sophomore Victoria Ganey, who majors in nursing, said her favorite event to participate in is Mud-tug, the last event of Saturday’s day-long Greek Olympics. “It’s the last event of the day…It comes down to getting in the mud and giving it your all. And when you win or don’t, you end up in the mud, and it’s just a fun way to end the week!” Mud-tug is a great way to end Greek Week each year. It’s an event that gets the Greek community riled up and ready to cheer on their chapter.
Personally, my favorite event to participate in is the chariot race. The chariot race is an event in which one participant rides in a chariot pushed by two other participants around the fraternity circle, with the runners switching halfway.
Along with asking my sisters about their favorite events to participate in, I also inquired about their favorite events to watch.
My fellow Theta sister Kaylee Brestle, a junior who majors in marketing, said her favorite event to watch is the Greek Week trivia event because “you get to see who knows facts the best, and honestly, it will surprise you. Plus, you are testing your knowledge as well.” The Greek Week trivia event is always an unexpected one. You never know what the topics will be and who will come out on top! As Kaylee mentioned, it’s also a nice way to test your own trivia knowledge and, who knows, you may even surprise yourself.
Of course, Greek Week isn’t Greek Week without the fan favorite Greek Sing competition. Greek Sing is also Ganey’s favorite to watch because “everyone puts so much work into making their performance special. It’s entertaining to see how different and funny everything is!” Greek Sing is the true definition of letting your creative side run free! It’s amazing to see what everyone has in store each year.
Greek Week has the ability to be special and unique to those who take part. Theta sister Shelby Tope, who majors in civil engineering, said that “watching events with unique groups of participants” is what makes Greek Week unique to her. Greek Week is different from year to year in terms of who participates in each event, making each Greek Week stand out from the last. Overall, Greek Week means a lot to the sisters of Theta here at ONU. It has a deeper meaning to us than most see on the surface. Kaylee Brestle said, “It is something to look forward to during a stressful day, you get to watch your sisters but also cheer on other friends.” Shelby Tope said, “It means pride in your own chapter, as well as fun, spirit, and support across the whole community.”
Greek Week is an impactful week in the Greek community at ONU. It showcases the community’s love for Greek life and one another. It’s a way to put the stress behind us, even if just for a short while, and have fun with those we cherish most.
