You may notice a number of girls walking around campus wearing colorful T-shirts with confusing Greek letters painted all over them.  These creative T-shirts are the latest handiwork of the Pi Omega Iota sorority, a Greek organization “devoted to promoting sisterhood, togetherness, and friendship amongst college-aged young ladies.”

     On Iota’s most recent and extravagant T-shirts, a legion of teddy bears parade around the back of the shirt and advertise the 2002 Pi Omega Iota Pumpkin Bust on a large purple and gold pumpkin. 

	Above: Some typical lame sorority T-shirts from the past.

     The Pumpkin Bust, a tradition dating back to Pi Omega Iota’s first year as a sorority in 1926, is a week-long fund-raising event that involves the entire Iota sorority and every fraternity on campus competing in a series of wacky pumpkin-breaking games.  Somehow, money is made from the event, likely from the participants themselves, and is given to charity.

     "The Pumpkin Bust was such a success!  After three months of planning, hundreds of excited competitors, and $2,000 worth of pumpkins, we raised $2,165.53 for our philanthropy, St. Ferdinand’s Center for Children with Unsightly Moles on Their Faces,” gushed Iota treasurer, Francine Dyer.

     Kate Dellsmith, who personally oversees the design of every Iota T-shirt, says that with the new wave of shirts, she hopes to “capture the serious, yet carefree spirit of the 2002 Pumpkin Bust while also creating a cute, eye-catching T-shirt.”

     Many students, both Greek and non-Greek, have expressed that the sorority T-shirts seem to all look the same, but Dellsmith disagrees, “Come on.  The Beta Delta Tiger Fun Day shirt is green with purple and gold elephants and white lettering.  The Gamma Framma Pudding Toss Fun Run shirt is white with green owls and purple and gold lettering.  They look very different, and in my opinion, very ugly.”

     Others don’t understand why the commemorative T-shirts are necessary in the first place.

	Above: Grimes' photo that was taken for her sorority. It cost her a lot of money that could have been better used elsewhere.

     “No one realizes that we have a big problem with a lot of the girls forgetting about the event, like when and where it was, even what it was, so these T-shirts help them remember that,” adds Casey Grimes, Iota freshman.  “Also, they’re a really neat way to inform all the other people who weren’t invited to the events.”

     Owner of Rabbit Run Graphics, Inc., Robert Clark, says, “We make those silly T-shirts for every Greek organization on campus.  One of ‘em throws a party – make a T-shirt!  They play a softball game – make a T-shirt!  Someone makes a T-shirt – make a T-shirt!  I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t make so much money off it.”

     With a semester full of upcoming dances, fund-raisers, grubs, and formal dinner get-togethers, one thing is certain for Pi Omega Iota and every other Greek organization - the vibrant, celebratory T-shirts will continue to fill up the closets and walkways of LSU for quite some time.