BMOC raises money, awareness for breast cancer

Phi Gamma Delta reinvented “The Dougie,” dancing in Snuggies. Sigma Nu roasted other greek organizations. Four members of Beta Theta Pi sang a mash-up of songs. Two brothers from Phi Kappa Psi covered a classic Tom Petty tune.

Zeta Tau Alpha — with the help of these acts and 18 others — raised $179,074 in this year’s Big Man on Campus all-male talent show, “Saving the World, One Woman at a Time.”

“We always try to raise more money than the previous year, but everyone was really happy about the total,” junior and BMOC treasurer Jenny Krejsa said. “We raised the last $125,000 in the last three days.”

Senior Bryan Flinn of Phi Delta Theta estimated he sent out 200 e-mails asking friends and family for donations.

With the help of the rest of Phi Delta Theta, he raised $22,000 dollars.

Halfway through the show, he took the stage with Phi Delta Theta’s house band, singing a rendition of Del Amitri’s “Roll to Me,” a song he selected solely because it was two minutes long and fit into the allotted time limit.

Ultimately, he was named 2010 Big Man on Campus.

“It’s one of those things where we have a lot of talented guys in the house, and we take turns volunteering for these kinds of things,” Flinn said. “With BMOC, it was my turn to step up. I figured I’d take full advantage and work my ass off so that it pays off.”

Flinn said it took him 10 hours to memorize the song, and he spent Friday before BMOC listening to it on repeat.

Long after the other contestants packed up their props and the crowd cleared out, Flinn and his band, On the House, stood backstage talking, singing, joking and trying on his new crown.

“I’m very ecstatic,” Flinn said. “It’d be very cliched if I said it didn’t hit me yet. But I think it’s hit me. I feel very accomplished.”

Theta Chi junior Dustin Silverman won runner-up, an upset for the fraternity that has won the most BMOCs in the past. But he was still excited and supportive of the winner and the cause.

“I was really proud of our house,” Silverman said. “But Brian deserved to win. Phi Delt raised the most money, and he played really well. In the end, it’s not so much about winning, it’s about how we’re helping a lot of people.”

But it wasn’t just about the Big Man on Campus.

Behind each act were coaches from sororities who encouraged the men, helped choreograph dance routines and campaigned for them.

Junior Kaylee Baxter and sophomore Kaitlin Kennedy were elected by Phi Mu to be coaches. They won best coaches for their enthusiastic help with Ben Miller of Sigma Alpha Mu.

“For them, it was about making them comfortable on stage,” Baxter said. “For us, it was about just making sure they knew what they were here for, the cause they were here for. We’re all here for a reason, not just to be on stage.”

Even though BMOC is a greek philanthropic event, a tribute from Purdue University senior Adrienne Harlow — a breast cancer survivor — a silent auction of donated goods and performances from organizations such as InMotion and Phi Beta Sigma’s Step Team contributed their support.

Krejsa, who is still receiving, organizing and calculating last minute donations, said BMOC is so successful year after year because of all the support from the whole campus and the surrounding community.

“Everyone always talks about how there are only fraternities and sororities participating, Krejsa said. “But because so many people participate, we branch out to people who aren’t necessarily involved in other greek houses. That’s what really sets it apart.”