Students teeter-totter for diabetes research

Benevolent students regressed to playing childhood games this past weekend to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.\nMore than 250 mostly greek students participated in Alpha Gamma Delta's 10th annual Teeter-Totter-A-thon, a 24-hour event which commenced at noon on Saturday and was co-hosted by Phi Kappa Sigma. Participation meant taking on a 30-minute shift atop a wooden teeter totter and a $5 donation. \nAGD philanthropy chair Andra Cowen said the event raised about $5,800, $2,500 more than last year. \n"It's just a huge accomplishment for us," she said. "Everything went so well."\nA dunk tank, an inflatable "moon bounce" and a DJ contributed to the event's carnival theme. Cowen said these items were new to the Teeter-Totter-A-thon, and may have contributed to an improved turnout from years past. \n"More people showed up this year," Cowen said. "I had people telling me they were so happy they stopped by."\nIn addition, this is the first year that the event had sponsors, including well-known local injury lawyer Ken Nunn -- who also made an appearance at the event -- and Marco's Pizza. Food donations from Jimmy John's also amplified the event's effectiveness, Cowen said.\nJunior Kirstin Olson of AGD completed her shift on the teeter-totter late Saturday night, wrapped in a zebra print blanket. Despite the chilly weather, her disposition was warm.\n"It's just really good to see people on campus coming together like this," she said. \nTo her, fighting juvenile diabetes is worth missing a night's rest, she said.\n"I can give 24 hours of my life if it means finding a cure," she said.\nGreek houses were well represented at the philanthropic marathon. Freshman Steven Coverick from Phi Kappa Sigma said he sat in the dunk tank for three and a half hours and couldn't even recall how many times he was thrown into the frigid water. He said he was cold but "it was all worth it" for the good of the cause.\nAt midnight the crowd on the AGD lawn fortified as men's a cappella singing group Straight No Chaser performed and a barbecue also took place. Music, both from live bands and a DJ, lasted until early Sunday morning. \nJunior and AGD member Laura Miller, who served as Olson's counterpart on the teeter-totter, said since people "are walking around at 4 a.m. anyway," attendance was pretty steady throughout the early morning hours.\nIn addition to selling food to raise money, AGD members "canned" on North Jordan Ave. and sold raffle tickets for gift certificates that were donated from local businesses, including Aver's and Blockbuster Video.