CSU Greeks band together in memory of Brother Devon Arnold

CSU’s fraternities and sororities will come together in the coming days to host the university’s annual Greek Week festivities. The celebrations will take place on campus and around Fort Collins, and are intended to foster a sense of community between campus Greeks though competition.

“It is a time for all chapters to come together for a common goal,” said senior Sharmayne Syas, a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. “It brings unity in Greek life here at CSU.”

Syas said she is most looking forward to the Stroll competition, held 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Cement Gardens, where teams will choreograph dances to be performed in a line formation.

Sophomore and Kappa Sigma member Cory Giltner said he is anticipating Friday afternoon’s barbeque and catapult competition, a private gathering of CSU Greeks at Hughes Stadium.

“It shows that we can still have fun and socialize without drinking,” Giltner, vice president of leadership and development for the Interfraternity Council, said.

The primary purpose of this week’s games is to develop a stronger connection between Greek chapters that may not have much exposure to each other, said Greek Life graduate assistant Joe Kowalczyk. Fraternities and sororities that do not typically interact are generally paired with one another in the events, he said.

The Lip Synch, where Greeks will compete in a karaoke-style lip synching contest, will be held at the Lincoln Center on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and will be open to the public. Admission is free, but attendees must bring a canned good for donation to the Larimer County Food Bank, Kowalczyk said.

In addition to gathering food for the food bank, there will also be a Money Drop in the Greek Life Office, room 176 in the Lory Student Center, to raise money for the Devon Arnold Scholarship Fund. Devon Arnold, Colorado State ’08, was the Alpha Tau Omega member whose body was found on a set of train tracks in Denver this past February.

“When one of us is hurt, all of us are hurt,” said Greek Week Chair for the Interfraternity Council and Sigma Phi Epsilon member Gabe Ortiz. “This is to support one of our fellow Greeks.”

Students can donate to the Money Drop all week in the Greek Life Office, room 176 in the Lory Student Center, or at the Teeter Totter competition held on the West Lawn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Tuesday.

For more info, visit http://www.collegian.com/index.php/article/2010/04/041210_greekweek