“Just for the record, we’re not whores,” Delta Sigma Phi member Eric Rutledge said from inside a kissing booth at Thursday’s Campus Block Party.
Rutledge manned the booth with fellow fraternity member Ian Becker. The two students are not whores, Becker said, because the $12 they raised will go toward Alpha Phi’s fund for women’s cardiac care at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
When they weren’t paying for pecks on their cheeks, students mowed through free hamburgers and hot dogs, danced to live music and spiraled footballs through the air on the greek-house lined block of East 15th Avenue between Kincaid and Alder street.
Students shot an oversized basketball into an inflatable, blue hoop on the sandpit lawn of the Delta Sigma Phi house. A sign above the door advertised “totally friggin’ sweet house tours.”
Harter Hudson, vice president of education of the Interfraternity Council said that the council designed the event to rush new members and “get rid of the barriers that exist between chapters.”
The Block Party was “a chance for anybody to come out and see what greek’s all about,” said Joey Russell, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
“We’re trying really hard to get rid of the frat-boy stereotype” Russell said.
Originally, said ASUO Greek Advocate Barett Volkmann, three bands were supposed to play, but The T Club was the only one that showed.
Surrounding the makeshift stage on the Delta Sigma Phi house lawn, rows of booths lined the street pitching the advantages of the University’s fraternities and sororities.
Alpha Chi Omega member Lauren Shipman said the event focused on promoting greek life and bringing new students into the fold. Of her sorority, Shipman said “We’re the girls next door. Who doesn’t love a girl next door?”
The event began at 3 p.m. and started to wind down around 5:30 p.m. University Catering and Conferences employee Rachel Rossi said that the service provided enough sandwiches, fruit and snacks for 400, and nothing was left by 4:30 p.m.
Volkmann said the EMU paid for the food, and the ASUO Executive paid for the permits and security for the event.
ASUO Presidential hopeful Todd Mann campaigned at the event, shaking hands and bringing students into the Delta Sigma Phi house to vote.
“Greek life does great things for the community. It’s great to see them all getting together and getting the word out at how great greek life really is,” Mann said.
Mann made note of rival candidate Jared Axelrod’s absence at the event, saying “Axelrod is not present for the greek community.”
Axelrod said he could not attend the event because he was in class.
“Saying we’re not there for the greek community is absolutely ridiculous; we care for them,” Axelrod said.
“We’re definitely there for the greek community,” Axelrod said. “A lot of greek members would agree.”