Although Greek Week isn't until next month, plans are already in the works for the annual event.

"Our vision for Greek Week this year is really making it a weeklong event that really exemplifies the positive aspects we encompass as Penn State greeks," Mike Funk, Greek Week overall chairman, said.

At Monday's State College Borough Council meeting, Nikki Williams, Greek Week community relations chairwoman, asked for State College residents to get involved with Greek Week 2006, which will be held April 17-23.

"We want to have a much stronger community involvement than in the past," she said.

Greek Week is an annual weeklong event during which fraternities and sororities come together participate in various events. Some of this year's events will include the Greek Pageant, Chariot Races and Community Day of Service.

Funk said he created two new positions on the Greek Week planning board -- community relations and university relations -- this year "to increase involvement internally and externally."

"This is to help better reach out to members of university -- greek or non-greek -- and members of the borough," he said.

At the Borough Council meeting, Williams said the Greek Week committee is looking for community service projects and asked that any State College resident with suggestions contact her.

Funk said community is one of the major focuses for Greek Week this year.

"We want general attendance at events, as well as simple feedback," he said. "It's about what can we do to better the area most of our fraternity men live in."

Funk said that this year, instead of pairing up an Interfraternity Council (IFC) fraternity and Panhellenic sorority for Greek Week events, as has been traditionally done, greeks will form "triads" composed of an IFC fraternity, a Panhellenic sorority and either a member of the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) or the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).

"That was our other main focus -- increasing our involvement among all four councils and unifying our four councils," he said.

Funk said one of the events that triads will participate in is a miniature golf competition. Each triad will build a mini-golf hole at an IFC fraternity house.

"All the greek students will be going hole to hole," he said. "They can tour all the different fraternities and get to meet a few of the guys."

Williams said at the Borough Council meeting that the mini-golf event "is a great event to bring your kids to."

"This is also to get community members involved," Funk said. "Hopefully, they will be touring through as well."

Funk said there are also two new events this year: the Showcase of Cultural Dances and History of Step.

The Showcase of Cultural Dances will feature several Penn State dance organizations, such as Volé, Whiplash, NOMMO and Urban Dance Troupe.

Alex Thomas, NPHC representative for Greek Week, said the History of Step will include both a presentation and a performance.

"Step is a traditional kind of dance form for historical African-American fraternities and sororities," he said. "It's music using your hands and feet. It involves stomping, clapping and things of that sort. It's been around ever since the founding of African-American fraternities and sororities."

Thomas said that after the presentation, volunteers from all four councils will perform a step routine.

"It's also kind of a fun event," he said. "It's a fun way of enlightening the greeks about the NPHC and MGC."