Miss Greek IU to raise funds for cancer research

Sophomore Emily Manzanares practiced walking in her high heels, and sophomore Majo Argote had her mother quiz her with mock interview questions.

These women, along with 15 others representing their sorority chapters, have been practicing and fundraising for weeks in hopes of being crowned the first-ever Miss Greek IU.

Delta Chi fraternity will put on the first pageant this Sunday in Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union to benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Seventeen contestants will represent their individual sorority chapters. The pageant will consist of pre-event interviews, a philanthropy outfit created by each contestant to represent her sorority’s cause, an evening gown walk and an on-stage question and-answer session.

“We want to showcase the wonderful women of IU’s sororities,” said junior Jakson Alvarez, philanthropy co-chair of Delta Chi.

Natalie Vertiz, Miss Peru 2011 and a Miss Universe contestant, will come to campus from Lima, Peru to be the pageant’s host.

Vertiz, a personal friend of one of the Delta Chi members, was a major inspiration when the fraternity created this philanthropy event, Alvarez said.

“I think the point of the pageant is to find a girl who represents the greek community,” said sophomore Sam Dragan, co-philanthropy chair of Delta Chi. “Miss Peru represents her country well and is kind of a role model for what Miss Greek IU needs to represent.”

The pageant will include performances by IU’s Straight No Chaser, as well as a performance by the men of Delta Chi.

The pageant is meant to be entertaining, but the main purpose of this event is to benefit Delta Chi’s national philanthropy, the V Foundation.

The goal was to raise $10,000, but the contestants and Delta Chi members have already met that goal.

“We want to raise as much as we possibly can to set the bar for the rest of the years,” Dragan said. “Also, since it is our last year on campus, we want to make a strong impression and a difference. We wanted to do more with philanthropy than we have in the past.”

Argote originally considered not joining the greek system due to stereotypes, she said.

“I didn’t even think I wanted to rush because I thought I didn’t fit into that sorority stereotype,” Argote, of Alpha Omicron Pi, said.

“But so much more goes on in sororities, and sometimes that gets overshadowed by the social aspect of houses. This pageant incorporates the social aspect of it but focuses on the philanthropic purpose of the greek community.”

In addition to wanting to participate in the pageant because it sounded challenging and fun, Argote and Manzanares both said they saw this as an opportunity to show what greek women are all about.

“I want to show other people what the greek community does,” Gamma Phi Omega’s Manzanares said.

“We are not just throwing parties every week. I want people to know that we do a lot more with the community and are able to balance that with our academics. We get criticized because of the stereotypes, but we are trying to change that image.”

Sophomore and Phi Mu contestant Rachel Smith was drawn to the Miss Greek IU pageant because of the V Foundation.

“The fact that I’ve had multiple family members affected by cancer made me decide to participate in Miss Greek IU,” Smith said. “Millions of people are affected by cancer or know someone who has been, so I think this cause is something we can all relate to.”

Smith, Manzanares and Argote have been fundraising, each having collected hundreds of dollars already.

Ten percent of each contestant’s donations and sales go back to her own chapter’s philanthropy, which Dragan said shows a real collective effort by the greek community.
Though fundraising is the main purpose of the event, the contestants still have to put on a show as they compete for the title. For most of the women, this is their first time in a pageant. Miss Peru advised the women to stay poised and focused.

“All contestants should be confident, have an awesome attitude and believe in themselves!” Vertiz said in an email. “Learn to love themselves for what they have, and a great smile is always what I look for.”

Greek Alumni Coordinator Judy Downey, Miss IU Brianna McClellan and the two highest-fundraising Delta Chi members, junior Geoffrey Kerbis and sophomore Jacob Kuczmanski, will judge the women based on their two outfit presentations and interviews.

Bonus points will be awarded to the contestants who have raised the most money.
The top-five women will receive awards, and the crowned winner will also be the first recipient of the Miss Greek IU Scholarship of $150.

“Miss Greek IU is a girl that knows how to balance her life and prioritizes giving back to the community,” Alvarez said. “She is proud of her house, proud of the greek community and is willing to work toward bettering the image of the greek system. She is independent and motivated.”

Delta Chi members said they hope this event will be successful enough for it to become a main attraction for the greek system and IU in years to follow.
“This is such a great philanthropy,” Argote said. “(Miss Greek IU) will definitely catch on, and I hope it keeps going.”