Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Sigma Phi to host 'Golf Bros and Tennis Pros' party on behalf of Best Buddies

The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at Utah State University has invited students to its “Golf Bros and Tennis Pros” dance party on Friday night from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

“Our fraternity loves to go all out for our events,” said Matt Kearl, Sigma Phi’s organizer of special events. “The idea for the theme just came to us one day. We love the movies ‘Happy Gilmore’ and ‘Caddyshack.’ We thought that it would be fun to dress in more preppy clothes for a change.”

The hosts are inviting guests to come dressed in golf pants, tennis skirts and argyle sweaters with $3 in hand for entry into their second party of the semester. Women get in free before 10 p.m. because, as Kearl said, “girls bring guys and guys bring more girls who bring more guys.”

“It’s a beautifully vicious cycle,” he said.

Kearl said the group is predicting a good showing, despite the fact that it “won’t compare” to the approximately 1,400 that attended its Jan. 20 “Dukes of Hazzard” party.

“We have DJ Neva Sleep coming,” Kearl said. “So we are hoping to have at least somewhere between 700 to 800 people. It’s not the largest turnout we’ve ever had, but it is a good amount of people.”

Jake Taylor, the fraternity’s chaplain, oversees risk management for the group’s events. He said he’s never had a party get out of hand.

"Our biggest safety issue is when people arrive drunk or high. We are a dry fraternity, so all of our parties are dry as well, and we make sure this is enforced,” Taylor said. “All of the brothers act as bouncers during the party. We are watching to make sure no one sneaks in alcohol, or is belligerent and needs to be removed. The party being dry eliminates 90 percent of the safety problems. This assists in keeping our parties pretty tame.”

Profits from the event will benefit Best Buddies International, a nonprofit organization that looks to create social, employment and leadership opportunities for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For its October “Angels and Demons” party, the fraternity offered discounted admission prices to those who provided a can of food at entry. The cans were then donated to a local food pantry

Kearl said that this Friday’s party is the first of the 2011-2012 school year that will have all of its profits sent to a designated charity.

“I can’t wait to wear khakis,” said fraternity member Rendon Barlow, “and party like the 1 percent.”

Betsy Blanchard, Jason Borba, Taldon Bressel, Maggie Euller, Alicia Facer, Curtis Lundstrom and Amanda Taylor contributed to this report.

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