Amy Seeman is out to change that image. The Willow Glen resident, a member of the Kappa Delta sorority at San José State University, believes that the day-to-day focus of Greek life is in fact community service—and she wants people to know it.

She's already a familiar face to those at the Starbucks at the corner of Lincoln and Minnesota avenues, where she works during the week. But she's getting to know the other merchants on the avenue as she knocks on doors and makes phone calls this winter to raise donations for an upcoming Kappa Delta event that will benefit two child advocacy organizations.

"One of the things that comes with being part of a Greek organization is you get a lot of experience and exposure to community service and philanthropic efforts," she says. "I'd done little volunteer projects here and there in my hometown before, but never anything this big."

The big thing she's preparing for is known as the Shamrock Showcase Lip Sync Contest. Now in its sixth year, the event highlights the talents of about a dozen campus fraternities and sororities, whose members get up in front of the crowd and perform, in costume, to their favorite hits. The first portion of each team's performance is a prepared act, followed by a series of song clips played at random, which test "impromptu lip-syncing skills."

The popular event has become something of a spring tradition at the university. Last year it drew 500 attendees and netted $8,000.

Eighty percent of the funds raised from Shamrock Showcase go to Child Quest International, a San Jose-based organization that searches for missing children and educates children about self-defense techniques. Twenty percent of event funds are donated to Prevent Child Abuse America, a national organization that advocates for child abuse prevention.

Kappa Delta is one of the single largest donors to Child Quest International, with Shamrock Showcase funds counting for a little less than 2 percent of the organization's income.

According to Executive Director Marcia Slacke, last year's donation made it possible for Child Quest International to participate in the Le Alegria de una Vida Sana ("The Joy of a Healthy Life") event in Salinas, which featured health screenings and cooking tips for a healthier lifestyle. Child Quest International fingerprinted hundreds of children and distributed "scores" of videos, brochures and activity books on child safety at the event, says Slacke.

Seeman has been involved with the Shamrock Showcase event for years now, and though she puts in about 35 hours a week at work in addition to her studies, she says she's not about to cut out her fundraising and organizing efforts for a little extra free time.

"I really want to get people to come to the event and build a positive image of Greek life" after the recent San José State University fraternity brawl that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Alam Kim. "I want to bring something positive to the public so they know that's not what Greek life is about—it's about philanthropic efforts."

The Shamrock Showcase Lip Sync Contest takes place on Thursday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Loma Prieta Ballroom in the San José State University Student Union, located near 10th Street in San Jose. General admission is $5, and tickets may be purchased at the door.

To make a donation to the Shamrock Showcase event, contact Amy Seeman at 408.264.5006.