Nov. 2, 2005

Delta Tau Delta Cornhole Tournament Hits Target for Red Cross

Don't believe the stereotypes you hear about Greek life at colleges. Although they've been portrayed as beer-drinking-party-houses, like the fictional fraternity in "Animal House," the brothers of Delta Tau Delta (Delt) are working on proving such labels wrong, in part by hosting its inaugural Cornhole tournament on Sunday.

Teams of two entered the tournament, competing for prizes from local venders, while their $5 entry fee went toward Delt's philanthropy, the American Red Cross. Eighteen teams entered to compete and along with other donations from various organizations on campus, Delt raised a little over $100 for the American Red Cross.

Cornhole is a game with two boards, eight bags, played by two teams of two people. It's similar to horseshoes but uses beanbags instead. The teams stand at opposite ends of sloped boards and take turns "tossing corn" toward the regulation size hole in the opposite board. A bag in the hole, known as a "cornhole", is worth three points. A bag on the board, a "cow pie" is worth one point. A toss that misses the board is known as a "sally," and the team receives no points. The first team to score 21 points wins. But because players can cancel opponents' point values by earning the same amount of points in a single turn, the score can and does go back and forth. The game is a favorite pastime for many people.

The cornhole tournament was a great opportunity to benefit the American Red Cross, but it was also an event that brought OWU students together. Competitors in the tournament ranged from freshmen to seniors. Teams from other fraternities on campus also participated in the fundraiser. "It's good to see the fraternities come together," says sophomore Keith Simon about the tournament.

Normally, Delt hosts an annual Beach Bash, where teams compete in a sand volleyball tournament. However, due to bad weather and having to reschedule, Delt decided to add another fundraising event in order to raise more money for the American Red Cross. Senior Justin McCoy says that adding the cornhole tournament "is a start to adding to the existing philanthropy events."

Overall the event was a success for both the American Red Cross and Delta Tau Delta.

-Meagan Redding