Annual Greek Sing energizes Stambaugh Auditorium

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

alcorn@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Gary and Shirley Wuslich were students at Youngstown State University when they met at a fraternity/sorority mixer and participated in the annual Greek Sing making memories that would last forever.

As honored guests and financial sponsors of the 67th annual Greek Sing on Saturday at Stambaugh Auditorium, they watched and listened as members of YSU’s sororities and fraternities made memories of their own.

If the memories are anything like those of the Wusliches, who came back to the Greek Sing for the first time since their college days, all the hard work will have been worth it.

Now married nearly 50 years, the former Shirley Elias, a native of Struthers, and Gary, a native of Export, Pa., now retired and living in Granger, Ind., have strong roots in Youngstown and YSU.

Gary worked in human resources at Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co., and Shirley, a 1964 graduate of Struthers High School, was a teacher at the former Woodside Elementary School in Austintown.

“Our children were born here. Out first home was in Poland. We give credit for our success to Youngstown State. It was wonderful,” Gary said.

By the way, part of their success at YSU was winning the Greek Sing. Gary’s fraternity sang the “Wiffenpoof Song” and Mary’s sorority won by singing “I Believe.”

After introducing the Wusliches, YSU President Jim Tressel treated his wife, Ellen, and the packed auditorium, to a love song in a very credible bass voice.

After the applause died down, the 67th annual Greek Sing, which organizers described as the culmination of all YSU Greek activities for the academic year, got underway.

This year’s theme was “Legends,” and included fraternity and sorority members singing and dancing to selections from Madonna, Elvis, the Beach Boys, Michael Jackson and Queen.

Some were pretty good, and all were enthusiastic, drawing cheers and applause of appreciation from the audience.

Co-chairmen of the show were Lexi Timko, a 2015 graduate of Howland High School and a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, and Bradley Linton, a 2016 graduate of Austintown High School and a member of Theta Chi fraternity.

The heart of the Greek life is philanthropy, said Timko, whose chapter’s project is breast-cancer education and awareness. “You also make lifelong friends. I’m so sad this is my last Greek Sing,” said Timko, a senior, who plans to attend graduate school at YSU.

“The biggest reason for getting involved in Greek life is a chance to get involved in making changes in the campus and the community,” Linton said.

The first-place winners were:

• Open Class: Theta Chi and Alpha Phi Delta, a quartet consisting of William Cook, Ryan Ash, Bryce Zwagerman and Tom Kuhns, who sang “Sweet Victory” by SpongeBob SquarePants.

• Sorority Division: Alpha Omicron Pi , sang a medley of John Lennon songs.

• Fraternity Division: Theta Chi, “Beach Boys” medley.