The Observer, April 7, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 23
True spirit of Greek Week should be maintained
Every year, the first week in April signifies a special time for roughly one-third of the Case community. Students shed their winter gear and opt for attire conducive to crawling, tugging, chugging, and dancing in preparation for the time-honored Case tradition of Greek Week. The series of events was created several decades ago in an attempt to foster relationships between chapters, and create a sense of Greek unity.
Although many Greeks entered their chapter for bonds of brother/sisterhood, Greek Week gives them a chance to explore bonds that can only come from midnight Rope Pull practices and and the hours spend thinking up the perfect song for Greek Sing or the most sturdy design for Can Castle.
However, over the last few years, the sentiments from some members of the Greek community have been that Greek Week actually encourages unfriendly competition among chapters. They claim that some chapters go out of their way at this time of year with the specific purpose of pinning infractions on other chapters. Instead of encouraging friendly relations, at times it can elicit pettiness and schemes to undermine one group for the benefit of another.
Another complaint is the time-consuming nature of the events. Not only do Greek organizations begin preparations weeks in advance – including trench digging and crawling through mud in Pyramid practice – but the competition is fierce until long after all events have ended. Oftentimes, while the members can't wait for Greek Week to arrive, the planning and preparation proves more stressful than fun, and forces them to put their lives on hold until the final winners are announced.
That is not to say there aren't positive aspects of Greek Week. The teamwork needed to participate in the events strengthens intra-chapter relationships and builds pride within each group. Events such as Can Castle – which calls for a collection of food for donation – emphasize Greek philanthropy, though it doesn't maintain the competitive nature of the events as it is only counted for participation purposes. While practicing for the activities, members have to opportunity to showcase their individual talents – no matter what type – and learn more about their brothers and sisters. In fact, Greek Week allows members of the entire community to recognize the level of diversity of skills within the chapters and gain appreciation. The wide array of activities planned in Greek Week allows anyone who wants the opportunity to participate to contribute in some way.
Perhaps if more of an emphasis was placed on the activities themselves instead of the final winners, the events could be seen as more fun than competition. Points should be divvied in a more Whose Line is it Anyway format – where they don't matter, but are just fun to tally. Bringing the true spirit of Greek Week back to campus would enable fraternities and sororities to interact with one another without rivalries that can damage their relationships. By removing the need for one group to dominate another, groups can again focus on promoting inter-chapter relationships.
