Julia Klinestiver of Alpha Chi Omega was crowned the new Miss Greek IU against 18 other sorority contestants Sunday night at the Miss Greek IU philanthropy pageant.
Miss Greek IU is a pageant put on by Delta Chi in order to raise money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, said Morgan Able, who is currently Miss Indiana USA and was a master of ceremonies for the event.
The V Foundation is an organization formed by ESPN and cancer victim Jim Valvano in 1993 in order to help fund cancer research.
Since Miss Greek IU was founded in 2012, almost $130,000 has been donated to the V Foundation.
Supporters filled the lower level of the IU Auditorium, including freshman Jackie Kuehne. She said she is excited for the cancer-based philanthropy involved with the pageant.
“I think it’s awesome that they’re doing this for such a good cause,” Kuehne said.
Miss Greek IU this year was made up of 19 different contestants, each from a different sorority chapter.
Each chapters represented at the pageant has its own philanthropy they it was supporting.
Winners of the Miss Greek IU pageant receive a $750 scholarship, among other prizes, according to the Miss Greek IU website.
Qualifications to win are decided by judges based on a point system. Contestants have to participate in an interview, which was worth up to 45 points, before the event.
The pageant began with the contestants walking upstage with their running partner, a brother from a fraternity chapter, and introducing themselves and their philanthropy.
Following this, Able and Sean Brown, a fellow master of ceremonies and Delta Chi brother, discussed each individual philanthropy more in detail in the Philanthropy Outfit.
During the outfit, contestants danced and wore attire based on events held for their philanthropy, such as a turtle costume for Gamma Phi Beta’s Turtle Tote or running wear for Alpha Sigma Alpha’s Special Olympics.
This category was worth up to 20 points for the contestant.
The Evening Gown category followed this, where contestants come on stage wearing their chosen dress. However, Able said there is more to this competition than just beauty.
“This competition is to judge not only the girls’ gowns, but their elegance and self-confidence in their evening gowns,” Able said.
The final judged category for the contestants is a brief Q&A, which was worth up to 10 points, where the contestant pulled a single question from a fish bowl and answered it.
Along with the pageant were a series of performances throughout the event by IU musical groups the Hoosierettes Dance Team, the Ladies First a cappella group and Hip Hop ConnXion.
Vocalist Bailey Grogan and saxophonist Daniel Nix performed as part of a cancer victims tribute.
Finally, Klinestiver was declared IU’s new Miss Greek IU at a coronation ceremony.
This event is important not only for its philanthropy work for cancer research funding, but also for the positive press it provides for greek life, freshman Mary Jane Schulz said.
“It helps to recognize all the different sororities on campus,” Schulz said.
