Calling on big men

Khaki shorts, baseball caps and Sperry Top-Siders would be unacceptable apparel at an IU Ballet rehearsal, but at Monday’s “Big Man on Campus” practice, it was the norm.

BMOC is an annual male talent competition put on by Zeta Tau Alpha to raise money for breast cancer awareness. Last year’s show raised $137,000, according to IU Zeta chapter’s Web site. The house wants to raise $160,000 this year.

Sophomore Drew Giovannoli, who will represent Delta Upsilon at BMOC, said he wanted to perform for his house after being involved in 2007.

“Last year I performed with one of the juniors in the house, and this year I was really excited to do it because it’s a great cause and event,” Giovannoli said. “I do a lot of musical stuff for the house, so they picked me to do it.”

Excitement filled the Zeta foyer as contestants gathered for rehearsal. As they moved to the practice room, they passed out signs with facts about breast cancer and questions like ‘What have you done for BMOC today?’ as well as piles of T-shirts with the logo of the show’s theme, “Rockin’ Out Against Breast Cancer.”

Homemade signs cheering on each contestant decorated the practice room, and a countdown poster showed the fraternity brothers they had only four days to get ready for the performance.

The contestants started the night with a run-through of their opening dance. One of the show’s choreographers and Zeta member senior Sarah Kula said the men have been impressive at rehearsals.

“They’re doing so well,” Kula said. “I worked on it the last two years, and this is a group of guys that the dynamic between them and the instant brotherhood they share – I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Behind all the laughter and dance moves is a common goal among all of the participants: fighting breast cancer.

Talent is not the only factor that will decide the winner, because the main part of the competition is to see who can raise the most money for breast cancer foundations.

Member of Phi Delta Theta junior Mitch Better said he not only sold tickets and T-shirts, but also sent newsletters to friends and family asking them to donate.

“All of us know someone who was diagnosed with cancer, so it’s a really good thing to be able to benefit all those people who have to deal with something like that,” Better said.

To raise so much money and plan a major campus event takes time.

Zeta philanthropy co-chairs, juniors Sondra Polan and Jennifer Sondhi, have been working on the event since November.

“For Jen and I, it’s been almost a year-long event,” Polan said. “During the summer we lived together and worked an endless amount of hours. Right when we got back to school, we kicked it into mode.”

But Polan said the hard work and lack of sleep have been worth it.

“We went to a breast cancer walk in Bloomington,” Polan said. “Just seeing that many people who have had breast cancer, it’s just such an amazing feeling being the head of it.”

Sondhi said she also cannot explain the feeling she gets from being involved with BMOC.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about anything in my whole life,” Sondhi said. “I know that we’re helping people, and it’s helping women. It’s indescribable.”

The fight against breast cancer is the reason some girls, including Kula, joined Zeta.

“BMOC is one of the reasons I joined Zeta, just because breast cancer runs in my family, so it’s a personal thing for me,” Kula said.

At rehearsal, Polan, Sondhi and other members of Zeta were stressed but excited and ready to show IU this year’s show.

“I think it’s going to go really well,” Sondhi said. “I have a lot of confidence in these guys. I know if we all come together we can do it.”