Panhel tugs for a cause at Palestra

As if victory over the previously undefeated Brown basketball team wasn't exciting enough for the 8,114 fans assembled at the Palestra Saturday night, the Penn sorority women provided some halftime entertainment in their annual "Panhel at the Palestra" event. The sororities battled each other in a tug-of-war tournament that engaged the crowd. The annual event raised $1,800 for the Rena Rowan Breast Center, half of the proceeds from ticket sales. Each of Penn's seven chapters, as well as members of the Panhellenic Council's former executive board, fielded an eight-person team that stood on either side of halfcourt, gripping a rope and trying to pull the opposition over the line. After four rounds of intense competition, only the Alpha Chi Omega and Kappa Alpha Theta sororities were left standing. But the final round was short and decisive -- the women of Alpha Chi Omega practically catapulted the Theta women into the bleachers, winning the tug-of-war for the second time in the past three years. The sorority walked away with a $75 gift certificate to Chili's Grill and Bar and its reputation as winners intact. "We're five-time defending champs or something like that," victorious Alpha Chi Omega sister Becky Shore said. "We were just really pumped. It was a lot of fun. "We thought the final was going to be the hardest round, and it turned out to be the easiest. We were really very excited." The energy level of the participants was matched by the crowd. As courtside basketball fans applauded the efforts of the women, the sorority members not participating in the tug-of-war sat together in the upper reaches of the stands, supporting the combatants by waving signs and cheering wildly. College freshman C.J. Pavia had fourth-row seats for the game and was enthralled by the spectacle. "I wasn't going to go to the game until I found out the place was going to be crawling with sorority girls," Pavia said. "They looked like they were having a lot of fun." "I think it went really well," Panhellenic Council Executive Vice President Neha Bansal said. "Everyone was really enthusiastic. "With so much crowd participation, the girls got really into it." Panhel President Elizabeth Kimmelman said she was also pleased with the night. "I think it's a really fun event because it involves the sororities and the Penn community," Kimmelman said. "Everyone who went had a really great time, and it's a tradition that we will continue to have. We really enjoy events where all the sisters from all the houses get to hang out together in friendly competition. "I'm really glad we got to all be there for one of the best games of the season," she said.

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