Category Archives: Alumni Perspective

Author: Cecilia D. Ramirez, C’05, SPP’10

Penn Relays 2011 Yardfest Crowd

Before I ever even knew what life at Penn was like, I knew what Relays Weekend was all about.  One of my first weekend visits to Penn as a high school senior occurred during Penn Relays, one of the biggest track meets in the country, and it ranks among the greatest weekends of my college career! It wasn’t just the thousands of people who literally come from around the world- displaying patriotic and collegiate pride- to watch the races that made this event so anticipated. Rather, for hundreds of people, this weekend was and remains highly- anticipated because of the Multicultural Greek events that take place.

Multicultural Alumni

Each year,  Penn’s Black Alumni Society (BAS) capitalizes on Relays weekend and the return of hundreds of Black alumni with their annual “Pass the Baton” Brunch. This year, BAS joined forces with the Association of Latino Alumni (ALA), and together, they held the first collaborative alumni event during Relays weekend. With nearly 100 people in attendance, attendees enjoyed a delicious buffet featuring salmon cakes, eggs, cheese grits, sausage, bacon, and vegetable quiche (yum!) and ALA & BAS successfully ushered in the homecoming of many Multicultural Greeks and Alumni.

Alumni Across the Years

 The Greek Side of Relays Weekend

For over twenty years, members of historically-Black, Latino, and Multicultural Greek organizations have been associated with Penn Relays weekend. Every Saturday of Relays Weekend, Penn’s Multicultural Greek Council (MGC- back in the day, known as the Big-C) hosts a “Yardfest” in the Wynn Commons area where Greeks from across generations and states lead chants, synchronized choreographed musical “party walks” or “strolls,” setup display tables, and sometimes even sell food or drinks.

Members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Strolling Photo Taken by: Joanna Plazas

One of the biggest events of the weekend, however, has to be the Annual Step Show, a long tradition in the Greek world where representatives of historically-Black and, since the mid-70’s, historically-Latino, as well as multicultural fraternities and sororities, get together in teams to  compete against each other.  Finally, the jam-packed weekend is also known for some of the best parties of the year.

This past Saturday night was no different with the “ice cold” brothers, as they are commonly known, of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. hosting the official step show after party, The Ice Age. Some, eh… more seasoned Greeks also attended one of the many Relays-themed parties around the city including the Heineken-sponsored Green Room party at the exclusive Vault Ultra Lounge. While I couldn’t partake in nighttime activities since I was heading to bed early for the Broad Street Run the following morning, it was great to see so many alumni and other guests dressed to the nines on their way to the Greek side of Relays’ activities.

Stepping

Stepping is a percussive performance in which the entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of claps, stomps, and chants. Like several aspects of Multicultural Greek culture, stepping is typically done with precise synchronized movement and in formations that resemble a military assemblage.

Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Stepping

These multifaceted pieces are usually intermixed with references to historical Greek facts, traditional chants and songs, and humorous skits sometimes alluding to fun rivals between groups; usually all following a theme. This year, for example, members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. presented an impressive piece following the classic Dr. Seuss story, Cat in the Hat, which they creatively renamed, Kappa in the Hat. In this performance, each of the team members sported a red “Thing” t-shirt with different numbers staying true to the original storyline. They even coupled their step with a pre-recorded humorous video of “the Kappa in the Hat” instructing their movements.

Multicultural Greek Show Crowd

May 13-16: Alumni Weekend, Round II

As I gear up for yet another weekend dedicated to alumni, I am motivated in knowing that last weekend was such a smash. The Black and Latino Alumni Associations will not be taking a break as they, along with the Asian, LGBT, and Native Alumni Associations have big plans to capitalize on even more multicultural alumni that return for Penn’s official Alumni Weekend, chock-full of great events celebrating diversity. Even though it can get pretty hectic, this spring, I especially love being a Penn alumna, Alumni Relations staff member, and multicultural Greek! I hope to see you all there…