Singing Greeks help raise money

There was a whole lot of bumping and grinding.

All in the good name of charity.

Fraternities… There was a whole lot of bumping and grinding.

All in the good name of charity.

Fraternities and sororities of Pitt?s Greek community spent weeks preparing 10 themed song and dance acts to perform at Friday night?s Greek Sing.

Greek Sing was held in Soldiers and Sailors Hall as the last event in the year long Greek Week, a culmination of fundraising events for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

The event was hosted by Brian Kelly, of Lambda Chi Alpha, as well as Mike Kelly, of Sigma Phi Epsilon, Ruthan Skelton, of Chi Omega, and Mardie Gresco, of Delta Delta Delta.

Highlights of the evening included when the Kappa Sigma fraternity and Sigma Delta Tau sorority paired up to tell the story of a college romance ?from break-up to make-up,? according to the event?s program. The brothers and sisters related this tale in song and dance using music from Good Charlotte, Gloria Gaynor and ?the all-famous break-up couple? Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.

Wedding bells rang as the brothers of Sigma Chi and the sisters of Chi Omega paraded down the aisles and took stage performing to a matrimonial montage of songs. Sisters wearing short pink and white wedding dresses held up large cardboard diamond rings as they danced to Marilyn Monroe?s ?Diamonds are a Girl?s Best Friend.? Sigma Chi?s brothers, wearing suits fit for a groom, danced with the sisters to Madonna?s ?Like a Virgin? and Billy Idol?s ?White Wedding? along with several other wedding-themed songs.

Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters and Delta Tau Delta brothers got together for an evening at the Pussycat lounge, inspired by Carmen Electra and The Pussycat Dolls from the movie Charlie?s Angels 2.

The performance began with each sister dancing seductively behind a translucent screen. They then stepped into the ?lounge? wearing short black skirts and black tops, laced in thick, pink thread to look like corsets. The brothers of Delta Tau Delta wore snazzy suits and bowler hats as the sisters waved fans and boas and strutted their stuff to the music of Spears, Missy Elliott and Bjork. They concluded their act with intense swing dancing to the music of the Benny Goodman band.

It was time to go to class for the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon and the sisters of Delta Zeta. They began their school days performance by singing Pitt?s alma mater a cappella and wearing khaki skirts and pants, white shirts and ties while standing in front of a blackboard.

Once the Alma Mater was finished, the dancers stepped away from a blackboard, which read, ?Sex Ed 101.? The sisters held pom-poms as they danced with the brothers to the Beach Boys? ?Be True to Your School.? A Delta Zeta sister took on the role of schoolteacher by day, stripper by night, honoring the movie ?Varsity Blues.? She grinded on a flagpole wearing black pants and a black, sparkling bra. The school-inspired performance concluded with a Sigma Phi Epsilon brother handing his stripping teacher an apple.

The judges at the event were Ashley Williams of the NBC series ?Good Morning, Miami.? Also, Madeleine Adam, a Point Park University ballet instructor, and Bob Pilon, a representative from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation judged the event.

?You guys are so fun ? so fun,? Williams said, waiting to announce the winners.

Williams remarked on the amount of energy that all of the 10 groups put out, but the judges decided to give Best Original Performance to Kappa Sigma and Sigma Delta Tau for ?From Break-Up to Make-up.? Best singing went to Sigma Chi and Chi Omega. Best dancing was given to the Pussycat lounge performers, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Tau Delta.

Overall, Sigma Chi and Chi Omega were given third place, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Delta Zeta were given second place and Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Tau Delta won Greek Sing with their first-place performance.

?I had an awesome time. By the end it was the people who smiled and really sold it [who won],? Williams said. ?It really relates to school spirit and Greek spirit.?

Williams also said that she gave every act a perfect score for ?appropriateness.?

By the end of the night the Greeks raised $8,133 for the charity.

Lee Kimball, the university development coordinator for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation was enthusiastic about the Pitt Greek community.

?Despite the troubles they are having they really show their leadership on campus,? Kimball said, ?It?s tough for me to say as a Penn State grad, but I really like Pitt now.?