“Why, this car is auto-matic. It’s system-matic. Its hyyyyydro-matic. Why, it’s greased lightning!” -Danny, Character from the “Grease” Movie
…And “Grease Lightning” it was…
Dancing on hot concrete in bobby socks, poodle skirts,leather and lace, Eta Sigma Delta members and pledges partied the SL night away in style! Though The Eta Sigma Delta Homecoming is actually a week long celebration, The SL Parade was fortunate enough to get a special TP into one of the most exclusive parties on the Grid! This exclusive and lively party took place on Monday, September 28, 2015 at 5 PM at SL’s Hillman University…

And exclusive and lively it was…filled with beautiful women and muscle cars, The Eta Sigma Delta Sorority did it BIG in honor of their week long Homecoming Event celebration. One of many parties the Eta Sigma Delta sorors will be hosting this whole week, the “Grease” themed Drag Race and Party encouraged all in attendance to emulate the spirit of the “Grease” movie. Heeding the “Grease” themed call, all guests were dressed in 50’s-oriented themed clothing…all of which was in keeping with the “Grease” movie; they danced not only to popular old school songs like the Bee Gees, but also flipped the script a bit with a little bit of 2Pac and OutKast. With the strong, positive and alluring presence of DJ B Smooth (also known as Bryson Capalini), the Eta Sigma Delta Sorority’s “Grease” themed party and drag race proved…beyond a shadow of a doubt… that Grease was definitely the word!

Besides kicking the Homecoming celebration off with DJ B Smooth, this Grease-themed Drag Race and party also featured a raffle. The raffle, which was described on an inworld note card as being, “…a kind of lottery game…there are tickets sold (lottery entries with equal winning chances). With each ticket you buy, you get one entry in the raffle. When all tickets are sold or the raffle ends, one ticket number is drawn which then will win the prize item…” With the Grand Prize being a 2106 Black Mercedes Benz, a prize generously donated by Billionaire Motors, there were many Homecoming party attendees vying for an opportunity to drive off in this lavish vehicle.

While The SL Parade was unable to locate John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, we were able to spot SnowAngel Frenzy, as well as KariNoelle Baptiste, ℳrs UQQℵ ℳartiaη, Phenomenal Woman…just to name a few. Yet, those present came to not only dance the night away, but to demonstrate unity and overall togetherness in honor of sorority-based sisterhood. ℳrs UQQℵ ℳartiaη, a fellow Eta Sigma Theta Soror, explains, ” I love being in Eta Sigma Delta…THIS MIGHT SOUND CLICHE,BUT THE FACT THAT ESD IS TRULY A SISTERHOOD [is what I like best about it]” She continues, “WHEN THEY SAY THEY ARE THERE FOR YOU, THEY MEAN IT….THEY TRULY MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE

One of many ways the Eta Sigma Theta Sorority successfully incorporates the definition of family is by relying on “Grease” movie-related nostalgia to create a warmer environment for all patrons. ℳrs UQQℵ ℳartiaη gushes, upon the mention of the Eta Sigma Theta Sorority’s “Grease” themed Drag Race party, “I LOVE THE MOVIE…SO WHEN WE ALL DECIDED ON THIS THEME, I WAS SO EXCITED!”

Besides relating her enthusiasm to The SL Parade, ℳrs UQQℵ ℳartiaη had to also rely on the “all caps” writing method because the muscle cars that were brought out for the party were so loud! The revving of engines could be heard throughout the party; this revving, followed by a parade of cars peeling rubber and careening onto the drag strip, easily left all patrons in awe.

Among the cars that participated in the Homecoming Drag Race: a 1957 Mustang and a White 1950 Cadillac named Lucille; two of many cars created by Billionaire Motors.
As the cars sped by, Phenomenal Diva (sharmaine.lauria), an Eta Sigma Delta pledge exclaimed, “Whee thank you!!! This is fun! I love LOVE events like this!” When asked what made her decide to pledge Eta Sigma Delta, Phenomenal Diva explains, “Well, I decided to pledge because I have been on SL for a while…I was–at one time–a Founder of a sorority, but that didn’t work out. However, I wanted to once again become a part of a sisterhood again…one that could help the sl / rl community…”
Intrigued by Phenomenal Diva’s response, The SL Parade asked her if she had ever pledged a sorority in real life. “Yeah, I did…but I was more focused on my studies .. I mean I know being a part of a sisterhood could have opened doors for me once a I graduated, but I tried to be as focused as possible on school work…”

In this sense, pledging Eta Sigma Delta has given Phenomenal Diva a chance to realize dream that could not be fulfilled while attending a real life college. She contends, “…I like this here…[because] it just gives me a chance to see what its like [to pledge]…I am a little nervous…I haven’t been a pledge since 2010…” As the cars continue to race by, Phenomenal explains that part of a pledge’s process to become a soror involves attending a plethora of Eta Sigma Delta gatherings. She continues: “…as of right now, this is just the beginning. Right now i see we are going to be showing our face much more as potentials….Getting to know the big sisters and letting them know about us ….its all about interaction at this point. I will know more as time go on…”
Once pledges like Phenomenal Diva cross over, they can expect to look forward to an atmosphere filled with solidarity and confidentiality. ℳrs UQQℵ ℳartiaη explains, as the cars continued to speed by, “SOMETIMES YOU NEED SOME ONE TO CONFIDE IN OUT SIDE YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY…LIKE FOR INSTANCE, SNOWANGEL… I’M LOST IF I DON’T HAVE MY WEEKLY TALK WITH HER…
She continues: ” [There is] NO BACK STABBING…NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THE OTHER AND YOU CAN REALLY FEEL THE LOVE…WE TAKE VACATIONS TOGETHER….IT’S AWESOME…”
All vacations aside, The SL Parade and Eta Sigma Delta urge you to attend the ETA week long Homecoming Events in celebration of all things related to the “Grease” movie! KariNoelle Baptiste was nice enough to send The SL Parade an itinerary of the ETA’s Homecoming Events Schedule, and we, in turn published it for your viewing pleasure. To take a look at what kind of week long events will be happening from September 28 to October 3rd, please click on the following link: ETA 2015 Homecoming Schedule.
