Pi Kappa Phi’s talent show at the Feb. 26 BMOC event on campus netted it a Top 10 finish among 32 acts on Feb. 26, 2016
. The chapter had seven brothers decked out in all black with pink ties as the team did a One Republic Mash-up on the stage of the Elliott Hall of Music. Stephen Kirk was the lead singer and was accompanied by fellow vocalists Ben Walters, Johnny Fullerton and Chris Arnold. Alex Benson played piano, Andrew Bohner guitar and Drew Rudman cello.
A total of 32 acts performed in front of nearly 5,000 people during the annual Big Man on Campus competition sponsored by Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. The fund-raising event for breast cancer research brought in nearly $140,000.
For Pi Kappa Phi’s Kirk, the sponsoring sorority’s dinner the week of the show impacted him the most. Contestants told their stories – what chapter they represented and why they participated in the fund-raiser.
“I witnessed men sharing their stories on how breast cancer has effected them and their families directly,” Kirk said. “Hearing everyone’s story helped put into perspective how devastating, widespread and difficult it is to have a member of your family go through the trials and tribulations of breast cancer. Zeta does an amazing job year after year with Big Man On Campus and I’m so fortunate I had the opportunity to be a part of it.”
For Kirk, an education major from Carmel, representing his chapter was more important than any individual recognition.
“At the end of the day, I wanted my fraternity brothers to understand that I gave my absolute all to represent our chapter and what we stand for, he said.
During the months that led up to the show, he was raising money in a variety of ways. For example, he volunteered to do his brothers’ duties at the chapter for donations. Over the course of the school year, he took on six kitchen duties ($85 raised), seven morning wakes
($95) and 11 sober monitor shifts ($231). He estimated that by taking his chapter brothers’ duties he worked 92.5 hours and raised $411. He had a Facebook fund-raising campaign, too.
There were six rehearsals, numerous skip-a-meals (whereby chapter members go to a local restaurant and a portion of what they paid goes toward his totals). There was time videotaping an opening message as well as a group contestant video recording.
“Being a representative for your fraternity for BMOC is a huge time commitment, whether you choose to work for your donations or you do the minimal amount of work,” he said. “I saw BMOC as an opportunity to display my gratitude towards Pi Kappa Phi, and I hope I did them and the chapter justice.”