This weekend, eight sororities put their strength and cunning to the test in the ultimate competition: tug-of-war.

Tugs is annually hosted by the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity as its Greek philanthropy event. In addition to hosting, Pi Kappa Alpha members also serve as coaches to the competing sororities.

In the competition, two teams of eight tug on the rope for 10 minutes, and whichever team has the most length of rope when time is up is declared winner of the match.

The team that wins two out of three advances to the next round. There is no time limit in the championship match.

“In the championship, the team has to pull the whole rope from the other side,” said Tim Smerz, political science major and president of Pi Kappa Alpha.
Strategy varies between sororities, Smerz said.

“It depends on the types of girls on the teams,” he said.

Carri Wostratzky, a junior communications and journalism major and member of Alpha Delta Pi, is one of the competitors in the event, and agrees strategy is involved.

“A lot of it you have to play off of how the other team is doing,” Wostratzky said. “Basically, it’s how you can put them in the most pain. If they’re in pain, they’re going to drop it or loosen up.”

Alpha Sigma Alpha enters as defending champion.

The competition takes place today at 5 p.m. at the Pi Kappa Alpha house, 1020 W. Hillcrest Ave., and concludes at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Admission is $5 today and $7 Saturday.
All proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Task Force.

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