A group of men in white button-down shirts, jeans and black suspenders were scattered around the stage in Diddle Arena Sunday evening. For more than three weeks, the men of Phi Delta Theta practiced their routine for Spring Sing.

The lights were off. Only a spotlight behind the stage illuminated the men as they posed and waited patiently. The audience was silent as they anticipated the fraternity’s first move. The men were eager and ready. But their music was not.

“Dude, the CD won’t read,” one member said from the floor.

“What? Are you serious?” the choreographer responded as he ran off stage to try to resolve the problem.

The audience cheered and applauded as the Phi Delts removed their props and left the stage.

Luckily, their music was fixed and they performed after intermission.

“It was uncomfortable at first, but it was encouraging when the crowd started clapping for us,” Josh Petro said.

Petro, a freshman from Brentwood, Tenn., said he was nervous about his first Spring Sing performance. But his fraternity brothers assured him.

“One of our guys is a dancer – we have outstanding choreography,” Petro said. “We’ve come a long way, and I can’t promise we will win, but we’re sure gonna try!”

Spring Sing, the Greek Week kick-off event, is an annual dance and song competition of the Panhellenic Association and Interfraternity Council organizations. This year’s theme was Alphabet Soup. Each group got their letter before Spring Break.

Parents watched proudly, video cameras and posters in hand.

“They did a great job,” William Spaulding said gleaming.

His son, Springfield sophomore William Spaulding, is a member of FarmHouse. This was his second performance.

Though he praised the precision of the routine, Spaulding said his son’s involvement was more important than winning.

“I’m absolutely proud of him,” he said. “This is his family now – they study together, have fun together. It keeps him from getting homesick. I trust that they always have his back.”

Sorority women screamed, their colorful T-shirts adorned with Greek letters peppered throughout the arena seats.

The women of Alpha Delta Pi chanted in unison as their sisters took the stage.

“… ADPi for me!”

Enlarged soup cans with Alpha Delta Pi and the letter “E” provided the backdrop. With about 10 costume changes, two live singers and glittering hand-painted props, the ADPis moved the crowd with songs from Eurhythmics to En Vogue.

“We hit it, and I’m really proud of my sisters,” Owensboro sophomore Jessica Paulsen said.

Paulsen choreographed the dance and said the dance and cheerleading experience of many ADPi members allowed her to make the dance more intricate.

The winners of Spring Sing and all other Greek Week events will be announced at a convocation this Sunday. And each team looks forward to it.

“Winning is fun. The events are fun, but it’s all about building sisterhood,” Paulsen said.