Greek Grind 2023: The Greeks Throwback to some Childhood Favorites

Douglas Salter

Greek Grind is back at UWG and better than ever. The popular Homecoming event took place Tuesday, Oct. 17 in the Campus Center Ballroom. As always fraternities and sororities were paired together and instructed to choreograph a dance based on their given theme. All teams were given almost a month and a half to prepare. Greek Grind is still being run by the Greek Programming Board (GPB). GPB is a UWG organization run by students from fraternities and sororities. Their main goal is to bring fraternities and sororities together to unite and have fun. 

Greek Grind this year was “Rewind the Grind” because the theme was 2000’s artists. The average current college student was born between 2001-2005, so the theme was something everyone could relate to and enjoy. The theme was decided on by the entire GPB staff. The artists selected were Eminem, Taylor Swift, Usher, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Pitbull and Katy Perry. The artists were also assigned to the teams by GPB versus the teams picking an artist of their choice. 

“We looked at the top Artists of the 2000s,” said Greek Programming Board Staff Member Jackson Warren. “We then decided that the seven we picked were the most popular and relatable ones.”

Greek Grind was open to all students and faculty regardless of Greek life affiliation. Hundreds packed the Campus Center Ballroom to be entertained by the different teams. The crowd played a huge effect on the enjoyment of the show. As each team took the stage, fans of each team screamed their hearts out ready for a show. Then as each team performed, the screams got louder and louder as pretty much every team was being cheered on by the whole audience. 

“The crowd was way bigger than I thought it would be,” said Warren. “I thought it would be a decent crowd, but the ballroom was almost full. It was awesome to see all the fun and engagement.”

Greek Grind is not just a concert, it’s also a competition. A panel of judges was selected to sit in the front row and afterwards determine the winner.

“The judges were professors or other staff, and we simply asked if they wanted to help judge the event,” said Warren. “The judges were given a scoresheet that addressed items such as choreography, group execution and overall effect.”

Every team danced their hearts outs, but in the end there could only be one winner. After all teams performed, the judges voted and GPB announced the top 3. Each team in the top 3 received a trophy (With the trophies getting bigger the higher a team finished). In third place was Team Justin Bieber by Alpha Xi Delta and Kappa Alpha. In second place was Team Pitbull by Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Theta and Phi Mu. Finally, the winner of Greek Grind 2023 was Team Usher by Kappa Delta and Tau Kappa Epsilon. Overall, Greek Grind 2023 was a huge success.

“I thought it was a fun experience all around,” said Warren. “This was my first Greek Grind. It was cool seeing the large crowds, and how everyone was having a great time. There were no fights and every team got along. In terms of next year, I would say there’s not too much to improve on besides little things.”