The last week of September, sororities and fraternities alike came together to compete in Kenyon’s annual Greek Week. Typically hosted in the spring, the week is meant to inspire friendly competition among the Greek organizations and help them raise money for their respective philanthropic causes. Greek Life Intern Taylor Stein ’26 wrote in an email to the Collegian, “This year, myself, [Director of Student Engagement] Caleb [Young] and both Sorority and Fraternity Council have emphasized that we want to prioritize intermingling amongst chapters this year, and Greek Week was a step towards that goal.”
Stein also noted that she hoped the Greek Council’s decision to host the event during the fall semester, rather than in the spring, would increase participation. “During the spring, chapters are busy with recruitment and new member education on top of the academic, athletic and extracurricular commitments, so we moved it to the fall in the hopes of increasing turnout and making it stress-free for organizations to participate,” she explained.
This year’s events included a Slip ’N Slide, a study night and a “Parents’ Night Out” service opportunity. At each event, Greek life members were required to sign in, and points were awarded to each organization based on the percentage of the chapter in attendance. Zeta Alpha Pi (Zeta) earned the most points overall with a score of 145, securing this year’s award: a customized neon sign. Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta) came in second with 120 points and Theta Delta Phi (Theta) came in third with 70 points.
The week started on Sept. 29 with a Slip ’N Slide on the lawn behind Peirce Hall. There were snacks, drinks, music and blow-up boogie boards for participants to slide on. Although attendance was low, Stein noted her contentment with the turnout for the Greek Week events overall. “Historically, during Greek Week, events (with the exception of the Philanthropy Fair) have had lower turnout, as it has proven to be difficult to find times during the week that work for everyone,” she wrote. “From my perspective, it was rewarding to see those who did come out to the events have a great time.”
The next day, a study night in Chalmers Library offered snacks and drinks for people to enjoy while studying together. “Greek Week Study Night was wonderful! Getting everyone together for a study night was a great way to connect us all amidst the mid-week demands of classes and extracurriculars,” Tri Delta Vice President of Operations Naomi Polanski ’27 wrote in a message to the Collegian.
On Wednesday, the annual Philanthropy Fair took place on Peirce Lawn from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each Greek organization had a table with a different activity or item that students could pay for. The money was then donated to the various Greek organizations’ philanthropies. Zeta’s stand featured “Dunk A Zeta,” where students could pay for water balloons or buckets of water to be dumped on sisters’ heads. They also had $1 glitter tattoos, with all of the money donated to National Blood Clot Alliance’s “Stop the Clot.” Together they raised $75. “We were able to raise money for Stop the Clot, which is very impactful at this time due to federal cuts to eliminate blood clot education funding. It was amazing to see all the organizations supporting their philanthropy and raising money for great causes,” Zeta Philanthropy Chair Brandon Ackermann ’28 wrote in a message to the Collegian.
Tri Delta had a stand selling $2 cups of lemonade, with the proceeds donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Theta offered the opportunity to “Phi A Theta,” where students could pay to throw a plate of whipped cream at a Theta sister. Beta Theta Pi also sold plates of whipped cream to smear onto the members’ faces. Epsilon Delta Mu offered pumpkin painting with proceeds going to Legend Hills Orchard, which recently burned down during a wildfire. The Archon Society had a human slot machine, where three members stood behind a table with cardboard dividers. When it was time to play, each member held up one of three fruits. If all three fruits were the same, you won. Delta Tau Delta had donuts for sale, and Alpha Delta Phi (ADs) provided the opportunity to hit a brother with an inflatable mallet. In only two hours, the chapters raised over $800 for their respective charities. According to Stein, the ADs raised the most money for their charity, New Directions.
On Thursday, Greek life members had the opportunity to pick up a free Greek Week T-shirt from Gund Commons. This year’s shirt is blue, featuring the Olympic Torch and the Greek organizations’ names in yellow. The shirts were designed by Lizzy Spira ’26, Theta member and director of recruitment for the sorority council. “I’ve worked with Lizzy on Social Board for many years and have seen the work she’s done for Theta’s Instagram, so it seemed only natural to reach out to her for help with the design,” Stein wrote.
Finally, on Friday night from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Gund Commons game room, there was a “Parents Night Out” babysitting event, where Kenyon faculty could drop off their children to be babysat by Greek life members. There were snacks and free pizza, along with various games and activities for the children to enjoy while their parents had a child-free evening. “‘Parents’ Night Out’ was a great opportunity to volunteer on campus. I really enjoyed it and was glad to see Kenyon faculty members appreciating the chance to have some time to themselves,” Zeta President Emilia Natale ’26 wrote in a message to the Collegian.
News assistant Erin Teal ’28 is a member of Zeta Alpha Pi.