For some MSU fraternity members this time of year is just right for swimming.
The Delta Gamma sorority kicked off “Anchor Splash” on Sunday. The weeklong philanthropy event has 20 fraternities compete in a variety of activities.
The activities are organized by Delta Gamma, and all proceeds benefit the national Delta Gamma foundation Aid to the Blind.
Anchor Splash Director Colleen Booza, a criminal justice sophomore, said the event is the most widely recognized philanthropy in the nation, and she’s happy to be a part of it.
“It means a lot for us to be able to concentrate on this one main goal,” she said. “We’ve spent months preparing for this week.”
As part of the week’s festivities fraternities have participated in lip-synching and etiquette events which have been judged by participating sorority members of Gamma Phi Beta, Chi Omega and Sigma Delta Tau.
Aubree Anderson, Gamma Phi Beta philanthropy chair, said it has been a lot of fun planning and judging the events.
“We have always been a big part of philanthropies on campus,” the advertising senior said. “Anchor Splash is a really fun event for the fraternities and the greek system as a whole.”
All of the activities lead up to the pool events on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. at IM Sports-West, Booza said.
“The final events are synchronized swimming and the anchorman catwalk,” she said. “The catwalk is kind of a striptease, although no one is ever fully naked, in which one fraternity member from each house dances his way down the middle of the pool.”
After the pool events the judges will announce the winning anchorman from the catwalk contest and the winning fraternity for the week. The chapter house that wins will be the one not only with the best scores, but the best participation as well, Booza said.
“It’s nice to see it all come together and it’s great to see the high level of fraternity participation that we have achieved,” she said.
Participation will be determined by house turnout. Admission for the pool events is $2 per person.
Mary Godwin, Delta Gamma president, said Anchor Splash is a national tradition for their sorority put on by chapter houses throughout the country.
“As a sorority (the event) is a way for us to give something back to the community,” the supply chain management junior said. “It’s also a way for us to influence other chapters on campus in a beneficial way.”
