Free concert brings Greek Week to end

A weeklong celebration of greek life will conclude this week with a free concert on Kirkwood Avenue.\n"United We Jam" ends Greek Week, an event co-sponsored by the Panhellenic Association and the Inter--Fraternity Council designed to represent the greek community and bring all of the diverse chapters together.\n"I really look forward to these festivities," said senior Macie Goldstein, president of the Panhellenic Association. "This week goes on to celebrate what we have in common, which is greek life."\nSept. 24-28 is a time when the greek chapters can reward all of its members and prove to the campus what it is really all about and, also, show different people the positive sides of joining greek life, Goldstein said.\n"It is great to give men and women the opportunity to get involved in a greater cause," Goldstein said. "Greek life helps people build friendships and skills for the future. It helps point you in the right direction."\nThe week started off in the direction of a dinner exchange between different sororities and fraternities, and Homecoming Serenades allowed the chapters to eat and get to know each other on a more personal level. \n"This year we tried to shift Greek Week and use it as an event where greeks can come together and have good clean fun," said junior Anne Marie Bonness, vice-president of Community Relations. "It is important to invest your time in doing events that are positive for the whole community."\nGreek Week included a Blood Drive to benefit victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that ran Tuesday through Wednesday. \nDr. Steve Atwood also entertained the greeks by performing with his powers of hypnotism at the Wittenburger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union. \nFull Frontal Comedy group performed Wednesday night at Morrison Hall and Thursday was represented by a "Greek Pride Day" which encouraged all members of greek life to wear their letters proudly. With the motto, "Whatever letter, we are all greek together" the members were rewarded for wearing their shirts with free sandwiches.\n"This is really a new step for the whole greek thing," Bonness said. "This year we decided to revamp and just really try to do some fun, original events. The hypnotist, comedy and concert are all new."\nEnding the revamped greek week is "United We Jam," a concert held on Kirkwood on the first block between Indiana Avenue and Dunn Street. The concert is a free event which includes three greek bands: 3-Minute Mile, Epic and Yellow House. Powerade will be given to attendants and most stores on Kirkwood plan to stay open after hours to have side walk sales for the audience.\n"I am really excited about the concert on Kirkwood," said Bonness. "I really like the fact that we are going to be able to include all kinds of people in the event. Kids and adults alike can enjoy."\n"United We Jam" runs 5-11 p.m. Friday and is open to everyone in the Bloomington community, greek and non-greek alike. T-shirts will be sold for $10 a piece and all proceeds will go to United Way, a general charity that pulls from other, smaller charities and distributes out the money to where it can do the most good.\n"It is good to have a variety of things going on for people who like to do different stuff," said junior Michelle Johnson, a member of Gamma Phi Beta. "There is something for everybody."\n When all is said and done, after the T-shirts are put away and the bands have played there last songs, the week was just an example of greeks taking time out to honor their fellow greeks. And despite a decreasing participation level, Bonness hopes that the new feel to this year will give a greater awareness for the festivities in the future.\n"I think it is definitely moving in the right direction. If this gains a little momentum, they will be set up to have very successful years," she said.