Brothers Rilott, Liskey, Muth, Jacobson and Austin (l to r) at the Derby Dogs event
The Sigma Chi Fraternity at Marquette raised over $1,000 for charity last week in its annual, weeklong Derby Days program. The program, which ran from Monday, Oct. 20, to Friday, Oct. 24, this year, included public daytime events and nighttime competitions between Marquette's sororities.
This year's daytime events included the popular "Pie a Sigma Chi," the "Derby Dogs" cookout and the Dunk Tank, in which passers-by had a chance to make their favorite--or least favorite--Sig soaking wet and freezing cold. "Everyone loves 'Pie a Sigma Chi,'" said Brother Guillermo Contreras, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences. "There's just something about shoving a pie in someone's face."
This year's nighttime events included the Sorority Olympic Games, a chili cook-off, a dessert bake-off and wall painting.
Derby Days began in 1933 at the Alpha Beta Chapter at the University of California-Berkely as a series of comical skits, where it was called the "Channingway Derby" and became renowned as "California's most amusing tradition." In the years to follow, Derby Days developed into a competition between the sorority pledge classes, and has since evolved into a week of charity fundraising.
Today, every Sigma Chi chapter does Derby Days differently, but at Marquette it is primarily a competition among the sororities, although anyone is welcome to participate in the daytime events. Throughout the week, each sorority gains points by donating money at the daytime events, winning nighttime activities and stealing derby hats from Sigma Chis on the street.
At the end of the week, whichever sorority has the most points wins half of the donations to give to a charity of their choice. That, and the bragging rights that go along with winning Derby Days. This year, Pi Beta Phi Sorority took the cake.
This year marked the first year in which Marquette Cash was accepted at Derby Days events. "A lot of people don't carry cash around to class," said Brother Adam Jaroszkiewicz, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. "But when they see we take Marquette Cash, they're really eager to donate. It's so convenient."
This year also marked the first time in recent memory that Derby Days has been held in the fall semester. For the past several years, it has taken place in the spring. "There's just too much going on in the spring," said Brother William Waychunas, a senior in the College of Education. "Moving Derby Days to the fall allowed us to take advantage of the last of the year's nice weather and clear up our spring schedules a bit."
The change to the fall semester did bring a few problems, though. Friday's events, for example, were cancelled due to inclement weather. "Even though we had to cancel the Bags Challenge and the Scavenger Hunt, I think the week went really well," said Derby Days Chairman Jacob Schlater, a junior in the College of Communication. "We raised over $1,000 not counting the Marquette Cash transactions, so that's a lot better than we did last year. I couldn't have done it alone, though."
Photos from this year's Derby Days can be found in our Derby Days set on Flickr.
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