Homecoming week is filled with traditions and activities.
Students are encouraged to participate in events throughout Homecoming Week, and the sorority and fraternity community is no exception with its members. Chapter members participate in various events throughout the week, making this one of the first big events that most new members attend.
Yell Like Hell and ExCYtement in the Streets are two of the many traditions that members of the Greek community participate in.
Yell Like Hell is an event where members of sororities and fraternities cover themselves in body paint and perform a song or skit relating to the homecoming theme on stage in front of the judges.
This multi-round event is part of the week that members look forward to every year.
“(I’m very excited about) the chance to get painted and scream as loud as I want,” said freshman Presley Polvere, a member of Gamma Phi Beta.
First appearing on campus in 1963, Yell Like Hell brought together not only members of a single chapter, but multiple chapters as well.
“Team selection was put in place to promote the value of the friendship of the sorority and fraternity community,” said Grace Rosson, co-director of the Central Homecoming Committee. “By putting this system in place, community members create more connections with more chapters, which boosts the morale of the entire community.”
Groups are judged on their ability to incorporate the homecoming theme into their song or skit, as well as school spirit and colors.
Yell Like Hell is open to the public, with participants going through a series of rounds before advancing to the final round.
Participants began almost as soon as the new pledges joined their chapters, wanting to perfect a winning routine.
“My big and my big big are both in Yell Like Hell, and having them there made it a lot easier for me to get to know them and just have fun,” said freshman Paige Stephenson year. member of Sigma Kappa.
ExCytement in the Streets is another homecoming tradition that members of the sorority and fraternity community look forward to.
This event includes lawn decorations or displays, floats, and performances by student organizations. Floats can be seen during the Homecoming Parade, which takes place Sunday at 2 p.m. in downtown Ames.
The first lawn ornament was displayed on the Iowa State campus more than 100 years ago, in 1912. The sign was built by engineering students and stood 55 feet tall. Today, the state of Iowa is known for its unusual and rare lawn displays or decorations.
The Sorority and Fraternity Community also participates in events that help raise awareness for a certain cause or raise funds to support various organizations.
Blue Sky Days 4k, collecting pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, and entering a social media video contest for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are all examples of philanthropic events that the sorority and fraternity community is part of Homecoming Week.
Members can also participate in a number of physical activities throughout Homecoming Week, with competitive tournaments including volleyball, basketball and a family feud-style game.
All of these activities have the same goal: bringing communities together.
“We believe that involving the sorority and fraternity community in Homecoming not only provides opportunities for chapter members to become closer, but also allows participants to make new friends and help build a strong sense of community. community throughout the state of Iowa,” said Andrew Larson, co-director of the Central Homecoming Committee.
Central Campus will be the location for several events happening throughout the week, such as free food, festivals and alumni reunions. At the end of the week, a mass campaniling will conclude the week leading up to the homecoming football game.
On Friday, October 26, hundreds of students will gather under the bell tower to enjoy fireworks, $3 pancakes and become an “Iowa Stater” as the bells strike midnight.
Next, on October 27, Iowa State will face Texas Tech in hopes of another comeback victory. The first homecoming game also took place more than 100 years ago, when Iowa State played rival Iowa, and for the next four years.
Another event that the sorority and fraternity community hosts in the month of October is Sorority and Fraternity Trick or Treat.
Open to the Ames community, children fifth grade and younger are invited to the Memorial Union for an evening of trick-or-treating, bag toss, bowling, face painting, a costume contest and more.
“There’s no monetary benefit, but one of our values is civic engagement, so I think being able to put on an event that aligns with our community’s values is something that’s really important to us,” said Micaela Choate, president of the Greek Multicultural Council. “It’s an opportunity for us not only to get to know the Ames community, but for the Ames community to get to know us better.”
Preparations for the event began around January this year and have been progressing ever since.
About 500 people attended last year and the philanthropy and service team has high hopes for growth.
“Every year we hire around 50 to 60 people. More and more people are coming every year because more and more people are discovering it,” said Zana Morris, Sorority and Fraternity Engagement coordinator.
Held on October 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the event hopes to be successful and bring together members of the four councils and different sections.
The theme of camaraderie runs through almost every event you’ll find a member of the sorority and fraternity community at. October is no exception, with Homecoming and Halloween festivities keeping members as busy as ever, demonstrating school spirit and pride from start to finish.