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Delta Delta Delta sorority members participate in the Greek Sing event on April 6, 2008, in Lantz Arena. This year's event is at 1 p.m. Sunday in Lantz Arena. (Karolina track/The Daily Eastern News)

Caitlin Ring takes a bow after finishing directing the Alpha Phi performance during Greek Sing on April 6, 2008. Greek Sing took place in Lantz Arena and is dubbed the "largest amateur choral competition in the Midwest." (File Photo/The Daily Eastern News)

Bringing Greek Life together through song

By: Heather Holm/Activities Editor

Posted: 3/26/09

Correction added in caption

Greek Sing is the largest choral competition in the Midwest.

It is where fraternities and sororities have five minutes to perform songs they chose.

Each sorority and fraternity involved has to arrange a compilation of four to five songs and they are judged on different criteria. Types of movements while they are singing, difficulty of music and how well they can perform are some aspects they are judged on.

"They get Greek Week points for each event they win and this all culminates into an overall score," said Dan O'Brien, a junior art major and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

The judges determine a winner based on points.

O'Brien said points are distributed depending on how each house places.

"It's interesting to see," he said.

He said while a lot of the people put effort into it, some treat it as a joke.

"The short-term goal is to win the event," he said. "The big events are Tugs, Airband and Greek Sing."

O'Brien said these events promote campus life with the Greeks and brings forth how the real Greeks used to compete.

Trophies and plaques are given out each year and the winner of the big events get individual trophies that are passed down from year to year.

"We (Sigma Phi Epsilon) won Greek Sing last year so we still have the trophy," O'Brien said.

Each house also has a theme to their performance.

This year, Sigma Phi Epsilon's theme is The Temptations.

"The songs we are doing are more of a surprise," O'Brien said. "It's cool to see the originality of themes."

Sometimes people dress up as well to go along with their theme.

Some of the themes are songs with the word summer in the title and songs from "Moulin Rouge," money songs or songs from a particular artist.

"All the themes are different," said Greek Week Overall Will Seidelmann.

The competition will start at 1 p.m. Sunday in Lantz Arena and will probably last all afternoon.

"This is the 58th year that Eastern is hosting Greek Sing," Seidelmann said.

The cost is $7 for floor seats and $5 for balcony seats.

"All fraternities and sororities are involved," O'Brien said. "And it's a lot of work. Most people don't understand the amount of work and respect involved."

Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or haholm@eiu.edu.