One of the biggest Greek life social events of the year took place Monday night in Gerlinger Hall – an auction. But instead of bidding on antiques or repossessed property, the sorority women bid on fraternity men.
As part of a five-day event called Derby Days, the University’s sorority members bid on skits and presentations by Sigma Chi in an effort to raise money to help send donations to Sacred Heart Medical Center’s Children’s Miracle Network. The money raised throughout the week will be donated to help premature babies in the neonatal unit at Sacred Heart.
“This also shows the good things sororities do,” Kappa Delta sophomore Alexa Tieu said. “This is the kind of thing people don’t see – raising money for kids.”
She added that when women join sororities, people will sometimes stereotype them as ditzy blondes.
At events like the auction, Tieu said “the stereotypes go away.”
Tieu said her sorority had a house fund of about $500 to spend on the men in the skits. She said the auction is always the best part or at least the easiest for the women, because they can just relax and have fun.
Freshman Chelsey Reid from Delta Gamma attended with her sorority sisters. “We’re here to show our support for a good cause,” Reid said. “And the guys (in Sigma Chi) are nice. We’re here to cheer them on.”
The evening, hosted by Scott Sullivan and Evan Drommond, began with a friendly but spirited roll call. When Sullivan yelled the name of each house, the sorority sisters stood up and cheered.
Sullivan proceeded to explain the bidding process. He also mentioned that he tends to talk in fast and choppy rambles when nervous, so he decided to make things just a little more interesting. Any time he appeared to be talking too fast, graduate student Julie Stevens, who works with philanthropies like CMN, was instructed to pound the table with a gavel. Once this happened, the first sorority with its paddle in the air was to send a woman up to the front of the room to pie Sullivan in the face. Nine heavily whipped pies sat on a table next to the stage area.
The auction contained seven performances, ranging from a Saturday Night Live skit with cheerleading uniforms, to renditions of the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” and Backstreet Boys’ “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely.”
Two men also sang an original tune dedicated to all the women in the crowd and their fraternity brothers. Other acts included a striptease, a dance video of Sigma Chi and a blind auction where the women bid on two men draped in sheets.
Halfway through the event, Sullivan asked each sorority to choose a representative to send up to the front of the dance floor. In a dance-off, each woman received 30 seconds to bust out her best moves while her sorority cheered her on. The Sigma Chi men jumped up on tables for better views, each cheering for the sorority he was assigned to for the week. As Derby Daddies, the men of Sigma Chi were split into groups and assigned a sorority house to help with activities for the week.
After a parade of cartwheels, back flips and even the worm, the judges (the DJs and hosts) finally deemed Khelli Davis of Delta Gamma the winner.
Sigma Chi senior Ian Gaffney was largely responsible for the planning and success of the evening. He said he has been interested in philanthropic events since his senior year in high school when his older brother got involved with philanthropies. Sigma Chi and the sororities raised $2,665 Monday night. Last year they raised roughly $10,000 throughout the week, he said.
On raising money for this philanthropy, Gaffney said “On a personal level, I’m just connected to the Children’s Miracle Network. I think what they do, the fact that they give a child a chance, is really special.”
Also part of Derby Days was a mural contest in which the sorority women created a mural for the children at Sacred Heart. The murals ranged anywhere from 17 by 15 feet to 30 by 20. Nurses, doctors and patients who are old enough to talk will vote on their favorite, and the winning sorority will receive a certain number of points added to their total.
Donations for Derby Days charities will be accepted at tables outside the University Bookstore.
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