The Derby Days are a comin'
Marieke van der Vaart
Issue date: 9/17/09 Section: Focus
From a dunk-the-dean dunk tank, to penny wars, a mock-rock and fashion show and a glitzy jail-and-bail, Sigma Chi fraternity gears up this weekend for this year's Derby Days philanthropy event.
An annual event started in the 30s by Sigma Chi chapters to initiate new members, senior and event chairman, James Bild said Derby Days became a fraternity-wide philanthropic event in the 60s.
Sigma Chi started the campus event in 1980 as a way to raise money for the national philan-thropy and unite Greeks across Hillsdale.
"It's a series of events between sorority and or other groups - each with the intent of generating money for [the Sigma Chi philanthropy]," Mike Harner, assistant to President Larry Arnn said.
This year Sigma Chi plans to make some major changes to the weeklong event.
For starters, proceeds from the event will no longer go exclusively to Sigma Chi's national phi-lanthropy. Instead, the fraternity has picked a local charity to donate money to in its "Hillsdale Hometown Stimulus" plan.
This year Bild hopes to raise $2000 for the Hillsdale County Community Action Agency, a group that supports the community in areas diverse as nutrition to housing to economic self-sufficiency.
Bild explains this makes sense from an economic perspective - businesses have more incentives to donate to events close to home.
"The economy's kind of in a shambles; why would people want to send their hard-earned money to a nebulous, far away [philanthropy]?"
It also makes sense in a community service perspective.
"In a time of crisis you need to take care of home first. To whom much is given, much is ex-pected," he said.
Jail-and-bail will also undergo a transformation this year. Held in the formal lounge of the Grew-cok Student Union, Bild said Sigma Chi members in pin-attire will serve hor d'oeuvres and mocktails.
"This year you're going to want to be jailed," Bild said.
Senior Megan Huening, Pi Beta Phi sorority president, said her house is also gearing up for the annual mock-rock and fashion show hosted on Friday night in Phillips auditorium.
"Mock rock is an essentially a chance for the house the girls in the house to spend time with one another and support the Sigma Chis," she said.
Each house choreographs a five minute dance scene featuring sorority members and select Sigma Chis.
"It's a fun time," Huening said, laughing.
An annual event started in the 30s by Sigma Chi chapters to initiate new members, senior and event chairman, James Bild said Derby Days became a fraternity-wide philanthropic event in the 60s.
Sigma Chi started the campus event in 1980 as a way to raise money for the national philan-thropy and unite Greeks across Hillsdale.
"It's a series of events between sorority and or other groups - each with the intent of generating money for [the Sigma Chi philanthropy]," Mike Harner, assistant to President Larry Arnn said.
This year Sigma Chi plans to make some major changes to the weeklong event.
For starters, proceeds from the event will no longer go exclusively to Sigma Chi's national phi-lanthropy. Instead, the fraternity has picked a local charity to donate money to in its "Hillsdale Hometown Stimulus" plan.
This year Bild hopes to raise $2000 for the Hillsdale County Community Action Agency, a group that supports the community in areas diverse as nutrition to housing to economic self-sufficiency.
Bild explains this makes sense from an economic perspective - businesses have more incentives to donate to events close to home.
"The economy's kind of in a shambles; why would people want to send their hard-earned money to a nebulous, far away [philanthropy]?"
It also makes sense in a community service perspective.
"In a time of crisis you need to take care of home first. To whom much is given, much is ex-pected," he said.
Jail-and-bail will also undergo a transformation this year. Held in the formal lounge of the Grew-cok Student Union, Bild said Sigma Chi members in pin-attire will serve hor d'oeuvres and mocktails.
"This year you're going to want to be jailed," Bild said.
Senior Megan Huening, Pi Beta Phi sorority president, said her house is also gearing up for the annual mock-rock and fashion show hosted on Friday night in Phillips auditorium.
"Mock rock is an essentially a chance for the house the girls in the house to spend time with one another and support the Sigma Chis," she said.
Each house choreographs a five minute dance scene featuring sorority members and select Sigma Chis.
"It's a fun time," Huening said, laughing.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Karen
posted 9/21/09 @ 12:47 PM EST
I'll be keeping my doors locked.
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