If you haven’t been treated to a Blind Boys of Alabama show, then make your way to the WOW Hall tonight. The world
renowned gospel and rhythm and blues group makes its only area appearance on the band’s international tour. The concert
begins at 8 p.m. with a local funk and blues troupe, the Deb Cleveland Band. Tickets are $18 and available at FASTIXX outlets,
CD World and the WOW Hall. Doors open at 7:30, and the show is an all-ages event.
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FORTUNE*
COMPANIES i
TO WORK FOR §5
These University of Oregon students will bring
their wit, grace and humor to our Firm this fall.
They’ll join a strong peer community dedicated
to unsurpassed client service
and professional education, all the while
maintaining a good balance between work
and personal life.
Are you a follower or a leader?
When students
fight* YMCA wins
■ Proceeds from the Greek
System’s Smoker Boxing
Tournament will benefit the
Big Brother/Big Sister program
By Bevin Caffery
Oregon Daily Emerald
A hot, crowded gym is filled
with eager spectators, the air rip
pling with energy as they anticipate
the appearance of the first fighters.
Two toned and intimidating young
men enter the ring and the real, live
boxing begins at McArthur Court.
But this year’s Smoker Boxing
Tournament has more to it than just
watching raw adrenalized aggres
sion encouraged by a crowd of
screaming onlookers: This boxing
tournament has a higher purpose
and a long history in the hearts of
members of the University Greek
System.
The Smoker has been traditional
ly organized by the Phi Kappa Psi
fraternity, and it is a tradition that
stretches back for decades on the
University campus. After the chap
ter’s probation from campus, stu
dents in the Greek System collec
tively wondered what would
happen to the future of the Smoker.
The Greek Life Office took action to
pick up the slack and carry on the
tradition.
“Greek Life decided that we were
going to continue the event because
it is such a big philanthropy event,”
said Kainoa Sandberg, Panhellenic
Vice President of Programs.
Tonight the event will benefit
YMCA’s Big Brother/Big Sister pro
gram. The message of the tourna
ment is to “Fight For Kids,” encour
aging participants and spectators to
focus on the philanthropical as
pects instead of the fighting be
tween individuals.
Stressing the same theme of uni
ty, the Smoker is a popular event
among members of the Greek Sys
tem and independents alike. This
year the coordinators are strongly
encouraging people outside the
Greek System to attend, to strength
en the student body and break
down greek stereotypes of resist
ance to give back to the communi
ty
Luke McNeal, a member of the
Theta Chi fraternity and the Greeks
Against Rape Chair, looks forward
to tonight. “My chapter looks for
ward to it every year,” McNeal said.
“The Smoker is one of our favorite
philanthropies because it benefits
such a great cause.”
Last year’s attendance to the box
ing tournament reached 1,500, and
the Greek Life Office anticipates as
many, or even more, spectators
tonight.
Greek Life, however, decided to
change the recipient of the pro
ceeds from the Smoker. Instead of
continuing with Phi Kappa Psi’s
normal philanthropy beneficiary, it
is changing the focus of the event
toward a more “civil theme,” said
Interfraternity Council Vice Presi
dent of Programs Justin Zuiker.
“This event ties directly into the
Greek System because we are do
nating our proceeds to the YMCA
Big Brother/Big Sister program,”
Zuiker said. “Each member of the
UO Greek System has a big brother
or big sister in their respective fra
ternity or sorority, and we have an
intimate knowledge of how benefi
cial having someone to help guide
us can be.”
As the program coordinator of
the Big Brother/Big Sister program,
Jude McKay is grateful to the frater
nities and sororities putting on the
Smoker for supporting the YMCA
program.
“Our program doesn’t charge
anything for our services,” McKay
said. “We depend entirely on
fundraisers from within our own
organization and from the commu
nity. It is a very generous gesture.”
Shannon Kilduff from the YMCA
will attend the event this evening to
show support and represent her or
ganization.
Zuiker said he hopes the event
will be a chance for the program to
raise money for charity, encourage
athleticism, and just provide a good
time for everyone.
The tournament will consist of
13 matches, with 16 men and 10
women participating. The majority
of the fighters are from greek hous
es, but students from Club Sports,
the Student Senate, and students
outside the Greek System are also
representing the student body. Some
fighters are entering the ring for fun,
while others have been training
since the beginning of the year.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity
member Sophanna Kuch fought and
won at last year’s match, and hopes
to defend his title on Tuesday. Ex
cited to be back in the ring, Kuch
said, “I just want to go out there and
test my skills.”
Another perspective on the
Smoker comes from the ASUO
Women’s Center. The staffers there
agreed that the participation of
women in the boxing tournament
can be either degrading or empow
ering, depending on the presenta
tion and the audience’s reaction.
“It’s not objectifying, as long as
they are not boxing in bikinis or
whipped cream,” office coordina
tor Lori Brown said. “It‘s empower
ing to show women in a nontradi
tional sport.”
The Smoker is one of many
events for the University’s Greek
Week, which runs this week. This
year, Zuiker said, the week is geared
toward strengthening interfratemity
and community relationships.
Other events this week include the
public initiation of University Presi
dent Dave Frohnmayer into the
Delta Upsilon fraternity, Delta
Gamma’s annual Anchor Splash
philanthropy, and a “wholehearted
participation in University Day and
Take Back The Night events,” said
Zuiker. The week will culminate in
an all-Greek Barbecue to draw
Greek Week to a close.
Tickets are $5 at the door and are
available at 5 p.m. The show starts
at Mac Court at 5:30 p.m.
Oregon Daily Emerald
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene OR 97403
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school year and Tuesday and Thursday
during the summer by the Oregon Daily
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Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is pri
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use of papers is prosecutable by law.
NEWSROOM — (S4Q WvSSll
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