Greek Night, which will be held tonight in the Memorial Union, isn’t a fraternity bash.

Phanos Pitiris, member of the Hellenic Student Association, said it’s “an actual Greek night.”

“It’s a great experience, and [participants] get exposed to the Greek culture and the Greek cuisine,” he said.

Costandina Kottaridi, president of the Hellenic Student Association, said the purpose of Greek Night 1999 is “to promote the Greek and Cypriot spirits.”

“[Greek Night] includes dances from all parts of Greece and Cyprus, music from different periods in our history and we also have a performance from a tragedy called ‘Sorestis,’ by Euripides,” Kottaridi said.

There are several other events planned for the night, which will be held in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union beginning at 6:30 p.m.

“There will be some fashion show, some dancing, some singing; there will also be some poetry,” said Iacovos Zachariades, systems support specialist for the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication.

A Greek dinner also will be served, he said.

“Usually Greek food has a strong taste,” he said. “But it’s not spicy. The spices that we use are not hot, but it’s very tasty.”

Kottaridi said the food is genuine Greek cuisine.

“It’s food that we prepare and we cook,” she said. “It’s guaranteed that it’s going to be authentic.”

Zachariades called the Greek dancing “very powerful and elegant — graceful.”

Kottaridi said last year’s Greek Night was successful.

“People tend to socialize and meet with one another,” she said. “It’s a very good opportunity to get to know the culture of Greek and Cyprus, which have a history of many years.”

Three hundred tickets are available each year for Greek Night. They cost $8 for students and $10 for the general public. Usually there are a few available at the door, but Kottaridi said they encourage people to buy tickets ahead of time.

“We have people from all countries attend the event,” she said. “We have many students, but we also have many faculty and staff each year who attend.”

“Usually we have more people from outside [ISU] than we have students,” Zachariades said.

Kathleen MacKay, dean of students; Mary Ann Evans, assistant to the provost; and Sidi Tandia, program coordinator for the Office of International Students and Scholars, will be present at tonight’s event.

“It’s kind of a well-known fact that Greeks have a passion for life,” Zachariades said. “They’re not party animals, [but] they know how to have a good time and enjoy themselves.”