Leaping Lambdas
Singing, dancing and a whole lot of enthusiasm is what it took for three fraternities and one sorority to win the Greek Week karaoke contest.
More than 1,000 Greeks filled Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium Monday night to cheer each other on during the “Say What? Karaoke” competition.
Social fraternities Beta Theta Pi, Sigma Lambda Beta, Alpha Sigma Phi and social sorority Delta Phi Epsilon beat out 11 other acts based on their singing talent, choreography and costumes for the third annual contest.
Brandyn Lawson, Sandusky freshman and Beta Theta Pi member, used his dance moves to help his team win.
“We were so excited,” Lawson said. “We’re happy to win one of the first events of Greek Week.”
Fraternities and sororities teamed up in this year’s competition to cut back on the time of the event as well as promoting Greek unity.
Lilo Velazquez, Sterling Heights senior and Sigma Lambda Beta member, said he was not given a choice about participating in the event.
“I was told I was going to do it,” he said. “I was up for it. I’m all for Greek events and promoting unity.”
Velazquez, who performed in the event two years ago, said the competition improved this year.
“This one was a lot more organized,” he said. “Every year it gets better and better.”
In the first round, the group performed “I Wanna Be Bad” by Willa Ford despite the music stopping in the middle of the song. The group carried on a cappella and were on cue with the song when the music started again.
“I liked it when the crowd got into it,” Velazquez said. “The music wasn’t supposed to stop.”
There were other difficulties during the first round as well. Two groups got to re-sing their songs because of microphone problems.
“We always expect the best, but the worst always happens,” said Kelly Barnes, co-chairwoman for the event and Fruitport senior. “We had some technical difficulties with the microphones and confusion with the new rules.”
“Say What? Karoke’s” main purpose was to promote Greek unity, but the event also was for a charitable cause.
The Greek community donated school supplies at the beginning of the night for underprivileged children in Mexico.
Helen Hagens, assistant human environmental studies professor and supervisor of an annual service trip to Mexico, said the donations are very helpful.
“You make such a difference in the lives of children,” Hagens said. “The only things we take we leave behind (in Mexico).”
