Lung association to benefit from 'Smoke Out'

At a party at Sigma Pi fraternity tonight, a band will play a raucous set of songs. People will tap their feet and possibly begin dancing. And no one will be drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes.\nThe party is Sigma Pi and Alpha Omicron Pi's "Smoke Out" philanthropy event benefiting the American Lung Association. Rich Hardesty and his band will play at the event, which gets underway at 10 p.m. \n"As a house, we wanted to do a big philanthropy that would involve all of campus," said freshman Rob Walter, Sigma Pi philanthropy chairman.\nThe event's name, "Smoke Out," is a play on words. The grill will be smoking, as members of AOPi and Sigma Pi will cook hamburgers and hot dogs throughout the evening. Since the event benefits the American Lung Association, partygoers will not be smoking unless they are willing to pay a fee.\nSmokers will have to pay a quarter and smoke in a roped-off pen, AOPi philanthropy chair Sarah Clem said.\nSigma Pi has long wanted to have a benefit concert, Walter said. The fraternity started planning the event in early February when it was able to book Rich Hardesty to play a show. \nOnce the concert was set up, AOPi and Sigma Pi teamed up to find an organization for the proceeds to benefit. They selected the American Lung Association, which has been committed to fighting lung disease since its foundation in 1904.\nCasey Holsapple, Interfraternity Council vice president of community relations, said the event combines two of the best aspects of Greek life -- socializing and working for a philanthropic cause.\n"We're going to be having a good time and doing a good thing," said Holsapple, a sophomore. "I try to avoid cliches, but that's the best way I can describe it."\nWalter said the event will be a great example of how the Greek community can serve the community-at-large.\n"This is a great way to show that there's more to us than just partying," Walter said.\nStudent response to the event has been positive. Clem said she anticipates the event will be sold out. She said this was evident in the large number of tickets already sold.\n"I don't even know if we'll be able to take people at the door," Clem said. "But we're still encouraging people to come." \nTickets will be sold at the door for $10.