23 vie for title of ‘Big Man on Campus’

Zeta Tau Alpha kicks off IU Homecoming with singing, dancing men.

“It’s a male talent show,” junior Jen Fulena of Zeta said. “The show is going to be really fun; the crowd will be really involved. We are really excited to see our hard work pay off.”

The annual variety show, Big Man on Campus, will be at 7 p.m. Friday in the IU Auditorium. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at the Auditorium or Zeta. This year’s theme is “Teaming Up to Tackle Breast Cancer.”

Twenty-three fraternity members will show off their talent to compete for the title of “Big Man on Campus.” The talent will range from vocal performances to magic shows, said senior John Smolen, a BMOC competitor from Phi Kappa Psi. 

The event is Zeta’s annual philanthropy and is celebrating its 10th year. All proceeds from the event benefit breast cancer research.

Last year, Zeta members raised more $175,000, dispersing funds among breast cancer research at IU medical centers, the Vera Bradley Foundation, Susan G. Komen and the American Cancer Society, according to the BMOC Web site.

“Our ultimate goal is to try to donate more than we did last year, but considering the economic situation, we just want to donate as much as we can,” Fulena said. 

This is a ground-breaking year for Zeta as they fund IU’s team of breast oncologists and the first-ever Zeta Conference, an informational forum for top breast cancer researchers and benefactors to discuss progress in the field. Zeta will donate more than $100,000 in the next four years to it.

“With the conference, the money we raise will stay in the IU community,” junior Sarah McNerney said. “We are excited to be a part of that.”

Addressing the audience for the second year will be Adrienne Harlow, a 21-year-old student from Purdue University who is a breast cancer survivor. Harlow will speak about her experiences and recovery, McNerney said. 

“She is definitely one of the highlights of the show,” McNerney said. “We are trying to focus on early detection this year and seeing a survivor who’s our age really hits home.”

For women and men, BMOC is a fun way to raise funds for a serious issue.

“We take this event very seriously,” Fulena said. “Not only is this a relevant issue for many people because they know someone who’s had breast cancer, but it is also something that could affect any of us.”