BY MICHAEL CAMILLERI
The Panhellenic Wiffle Ball Tournament held Wednesday, Oct. 18 on the Sacred Heart softball field was just one of many events during Panhellenic Pride Week.
“Panhellenic Pride Week is a time to represent your Panhellenic organization and support the other organizations as well,” said sophomore Nicole Longo and member of Chi Omega. “It’s a great time to show that although I may belong to one organization, I also support the other groups and what they each stand for.”
The sororities that participated in the whiffle ball tournament were Phi Sigma Sigma, Alpha Delta Pi, Kappa Delta, Zeta Tau Alpha, Chi Omega, Delta Zeta, and Theta Phi Alpha. Though Chi Omega defeated Phi Sigma Sigma in extra innings in the championship game, the event was about more than just friendly competition.
“The Wiffle ball tournament was held to raise money and awareness for the Circle of Sisterhood, a Panhellenic philanthropy organization,” Longo said.
Circle of Sisterhood is a nonprofit run by sorority women to raise funds to help women and girls in impoverished areas afford an education.
“Standing together as one community, we will give girls and women an equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods through schooling, the learning of a trade, or even a college degree,” said the Circle of Sisterhood website.
“I think the closeness comes from sharing the memory of playing in the tournament together,” said Junior Rebecca Rutkiewicz, a member of Chi Omega. “Being able to recall funny things or cool plays that happened during the night definitely brings the sororities together because of the shared experience.” “We were able to bond and get a little closer to the girls in our own organization, and also showed how Panhellenic our campus really is,” said junior and Phi Sigma Sigma member Caroline King. “Everyone that came out had people in the bleachers watching and supporting, and we had our own teammates there to support each other and the other teams of girls.”
The positive aspects of the event were also evident to people who were not involved in the sororities.
“Although I’m not in a sorority, I could see the overwhelming community that they have within Panhell,” said Jack Silcox, secretary of the Interfraternity Council and acting umpire during the tournament. “This representation of sororities was one of positivity as the girls cheered for one another, gave each other hugs, and conversed with one another regardless of the sorority they were in.”
Panhellenic Pride Week also consisted of a yoga night, an Instagram contest, table times, and guest speaker Lauren Cook on how being in a sorority positively affected her life after college. This week of events was organized by Sacred Heart’s Panhellenic Council.
“The Panhellenic Council is the unifying and coordinating body of the sorority community at Sacred Heart University. It is comprised of representatives from each of our seven sororities,” said the Sacred Heart University website. “The Panhellenic Council strives to promote leadership for women, diversity, academic achievement and service through relationships within the Panhellenic and Greek communities and beyond.”