Chi Omega Songfest at USM set for Nov. 8 at Reed Green Coliseum
Fri, 11/04/2022 - 04:19pm | By: David Tisdale
A sign that the holiday season is upon us here in the Pine Belt is Songfest, an annual
singing and dancing competition between fraternities and sororities at The University
of Southern Mississippi (USM) that returns for its 71st edition Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in Reed Green Coliseum on the Hattiesburg campus.
Admission is free and the public is invited; donations are encouraged to support the
Epsilon Delta chapter of Chi Omega sorority’s Songfest charity beneficiary, the Mississippi
Make a Wish Foundation.
“Songfest has become a tradition for not only the Southern Miss campus, but also the greater Hattiesburg community and serves as a kick off event for the holiday season in the Hub City,” said Ginny Graham, chapter advisor for Chi Omega at USM. “I love the fact that this event has evolved over the years to reflect today’s trends, yet has still held fast to some of the original traditions, including Chi Omega’s singing of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ by candlelight, and walking down the coliseum steps in pairs and forming the X and horseshoe as they make their way to the risers to perform. This evolution helps connect alumnae like myself who participated in Songfest in the early 1990’s to today’s collegiate members and gives us a common bond.”
USM student and Chi Omega member Serena Howell is serving as the chapter’s director for Songfest this year. She and her fellow sorority sisters are working to top last year’s fundraising total in furthering support of Make-A-Wish.
“Planning songfest this year has been the biggest blessing for me,” Howell said. “I feel so honored to hold 71 years of tradition in my hands. We actually found a videotape of Songfest from the 1970s last week, and I couldn't help but get emotional about seeing how far Epsilon Delta has come, and how thankful I am that I get to direct songfest after all these years.
“We have a very special surprise to reveal at Songfest this year as well,” Howell continued. “All of Chi Omega is so excited to present this event. It truly will be a Songfest like never before.”
For more information about Songfest and how to help Chi Omega at USM support the Make-A-Wish Foundation, contact Howell at serena.howellFREEMississippi.