At the opening of fraternity Greek Week, a chariot lost a wheel, but not its rider, during the first chariot race on Hillsdale’s campus since the 1980s.
At the first fraternity event, teams of two men pulled chariots carrying one rider in a four-lap race around the parking lot behind the Suites, said senior Patrick Davenport, InterFraternity Council president. Each fraternity built its own chariot for the event.
Alpha Tau Omega fraternity won the race.
“Pulling the chariots is a lot harder than you think,” said senior Aaron Tracey, who pulled Sigma Chi fraternity’s chariot. “The rider is little, but you’re running uphill, and you’re running about the equivalent of a half mile,” he said.
The race also featured a Saga Inc. meal exchange cookout open to spectators.
“Hillsdale showed up in spades,” said junior Ian Atherton, member of ATO. “We had a good crowd. I enjoyed it a lot.”
So far, fraternities have competed in the chariot race, a track competition, and basketball. Delta Sigma Phi fraternity currently leads the field by seven points.
Fraternity Greek Week will continue with volleyball 9:30 tonight at Hillsdale Academy and bowling Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Davenport said the IFC is grateful to the academy for the use of their courts.
Chi Omega women’s fraternity won sorority Greek Week, which concluded Friday. Chi Omega has come in first every year but one since 1983, Chi Omega president junior Geena Pietrefase said.
“We practice. We work hard. We want to win,” she said.
Sorority Greek Week events included basketball, trivia, and volleyball.
“I got to cheer for my roommate and our former chapter president while she competed in a sack race, and I had no idea she could jump so high,” said junior Elizabeth Harris in an email, Pi Beta Phi women’s fraternity president.
Four of the events were changed from last year, said sophomore Kelsey Lozier, Kappa Kappa Gamma women’s fraternity delegate to the Panhellenic Council. The trivia event was
revised and kickball, Freaky Friday, and Finish the Lyric were introduced. Freaky Friday consisted of less competitive events such as a wheelbarrow race and an egg toss.
Lozier said the new events were well-received.
“Overall, it was super successful this year,” she said.
Finish the Lyric consisted of teams from each sorority choosing categories of songs. Part of a song would be played and then the women would attempt to finish the song, KKG president junior Mary Kate Kibbe said.
She said those who successfully finished difficult songs won much support.
“It was really nice to get the houses cheering on together,” Kibbe said.
