|
good greek news at southern illinois university
Fraternity raises more than $5,000 for Alpha Tau Omega alumnus with cancer
Bethany Krajelis
Daily Egyptian
It was a Friday afternoon, and Erica Oldani and her parents took a trip to Springfield. It was not a trip Oldani had been looking forward to.
At 6:30 a.m. the next morning, Oldani awoke from the sound of the telephone ringing. It was her boyfriend, whom she has been dating for a year and a half. He told her to come to the hospital right away. Oldani jumped out of her bed, grabbed her parents' keys and drove off without hesitation.
"I knew something was wrong," Oldani said.
It was at 6:45 a.m. when she heard the bad news. Brandon Wyatt, a 24-year old SIUC alumnus, was diagnosed with Cushing's disease and a rare form of cancer of the pancreas.
Brandon Wyatt, an Alpha Tau Omega alumnus, had more of a problem than anyone expected. He recently began a new job where his health insurance would not begin until October. The high price of medical procedures and medications were too much for Wyatt to handle alone.
President of Alpha Tau Omega Eric Gullett decided to sponsor a fundraiser with the help of Oldani and the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority to raise money for Wyatt. Forty-eight Hours of Volleyball began Friday night at 8 p.m. and ended Sunday night at 8 p.m. The non-stop event received a lot of help from the University and Carbondale community.
Gullett said numerous businesses donated their services and money to help Wyatt's cause. Subway, Jimmy John's, Dominos, Papa John's, Gatsby's Bar and Billiards and Pinch Penny Pub were only some of the businesses that were involved in the event.
Oldani said she has been traveling from Carbondale to Springfield every weekend to be with Wyatt. She said the cost of his hospital bills, chemotherapy and operations is "astronomical."
Oldani said Wyatt's prescription medications cost more than $400 per week. She said she was with Wyatt last weekend when he shaved his head in preparation for his chemotherapy treatment.
"He loves his curly hair, so when we cut it, he wasn't too happy about it," said Oldani, admitting Wyatt is a little vain about his hair.
She described the extensive medical procedures Wyatt will be undergoing. Not only will Wyatt continue to receive chemotherapy treatments, but doctors have also strongly recommended liver and pancreas transplants.
Along with the volleyball games, students, friends and greek members laughed about the good times and memories they have had with Wyatt.
Alaina Coats, president of Alpha Gamma Delta, sat watching the festivities with her sorority sister Laura Taylor. Coats described Wyatt as an "awesome" guy who cares about everyone.
"He always cared," Coats said. "And that's why so many people are so anxious to help him now."
Agreeing with Coats, Taylor, a junior in journalism, added some of her own thoughts and feelings to their conversation.
"It is so unfortunate because Brandon acts so alive and positive,""Taylor said. "He just doesn't know any other way to be."
Reminiscing about last year's Greek Week, Coats laughed about Wyatt's spontaneity and sense of humor.
"He dressed up like Mr. T and shaved his head into a mohawk," Coats said. "He wore the chains and everything."
Sean Randich, sports chair for Alpha Tau Omega, said Wyatt never acted serious.
"Everyone knew Brandon and liked him," Randich said. "He was the kid who made everyone laugh."
Gullett said the Forty-Eight Hours of Volleyball fundraiser was planned very quickly because Wyatt?s condition came without much warning. He mentioned the support and donations they have received from the other fraternities and sororities on campus.
"Phi Sigma Kappa donated shirts, their time and money to the fundraiser," said Gullett as he pointed to the eight members of that fraternity playing volleyball at the time.
The majority of the event's attendance was from students and members of the greek system, but Gullet mentioned SIUC faculty members had stopped by to make donations.
Bob Oldani, Erica's father, was also present at this past weekend's fundraiser. He described Wyatt as a "nice fellow and quite a gentlemen." He said he was impressed at all of the college students who came out to donate.
Henry Collins, a resident of Carrier Mills, came with his friend to donate money to Wyatt's cause. Collins, having dealt with cancer in own family, was sympathetic to Wyatt's problem. He said he hopes everything works out for Wyatt.
"People understand," Collins said, "I am sure this fundraiser will be successful."
Chevi Eaton and Aimee Allegretti, members of Delta Zeta sorority, were both satisfied with the event's turnout.
"This is great," Eaton said. "It brings us all together to help out for a great cause."
Allegretti agreed and described Wyatt as "a hilarious guy." She recalled one of her favorite memories of Wyatt, dressed in a white suit and dancing like John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever."
Alpha Gamma Delta member Kelli Kemper said she never knew Wyatt but was happy to help.
"What am I going to spend my money on?" said Kemper, a sophomore in journalism. "Someone's life is way more important than buying a pack of cigarettes or a beer."
Peter Morris, a junior in visual communications, was one of many Alpha Tau Omega members who planned to stay up for the entire 48 hours.
"The longer I am out here," Morris said, "the more money Brandon gets."
Morris had seven people donate to the cause along with many of his parents? co-workers.
Vice President of Alpha Tau Omega Joe Angileri said he was hoping to raise at least $5,000 for Wyatt, a goal that was accomplished by the end of the weekend.
"We've never done anything like this before," Angileri said. "But we're going to go until we can't go any longer."
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. celebrates 25 years of contributions to the community
Jessica Yorama
Daily Egyptian
The graduate chapter of an SIUC sorority known for giving to the community is taking time to recognize its accomplishments during the organization's 25th anniversary.
The Carbondale Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Sorority will celebrate 25 years of contributions to the community during its anniversary banquet 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Carbondale Civic Center. For the cost of the event, attendants will have the opportunity to dine as well as hear music from Big Larry and the Down Home Blues Band and guest speaker Illinois State Senator Barack Obama.
"This is a great milestone for us since we are such a small chapter," said Delta Sigma Theta President Jenise Wilson. "We usually only run about 20 to 22 members, so for us to be a mainstay in the community for so long is a great thing."
"We are going to continue to remain committed to community service and the betterment of the community and the world."
Guest speaker Obama, who is also a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, the first black president of the law school's executive board and chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee, seemed a natural choice for members who met the senator in Springfield. Members of the group, who participate in a campaign to increase voter turnout, also believed a visit from Obama would be appropriate considering Obama is vying for a seat in the U.S. Senate.
During Delta Day, a day in which the organization travels to the capitol in Springfield, members of the sorority had the opportunity to hear Obama speak and were impressed by how his ideas related to several of their causes.
According to member LaVell Hayes-Cox, as a sorority focused and committed to assisting the community and society as a whole, Delta Sigma Theta has a number of public service-related activities to commemorate not only from its 25-year existence but from this year alone.
In honor of their quarter-century anniversary, the sorority performed 25 non-profit, public service activities.
Continuing in tradition, the group participated in the Sister-to-Sister walk for breast cancer, along with the Relay for Life. Although the group has several activities in which it participates, one of its primary goals is to inform women about breast cancer, a disease that affects more white women than blacks but is shown to be more fatal to the latter.
The organization also aides members of the community through participation in the annual AIDS Walk, Toys for Tots, assistance in the soup kitchen at Bethel Church in Carbondale and a signature program that provides Easter baskets for senior citizens in the community.
Delta Sigma Theta also provides a great deal of focus to the younger portion of the community through a yearly scholarship it provides for graduates of Carbondale High School. In addition to this scholarship, the group attempted to aide students and their parents by providing them with the necessary information concerning the financial aid process. The program, which took place in December, offered the advice and knowledge of the director of Financial Aid, Daniel Mann.
The sorority does not believe the process is complete in simply serving the members of the community one is in, and it also sets out to help the community as a whole through more visual campaigns such as Habitat for Humanity and the annual Carbondale Clean and Green, for which the sorority won first place among medium-sized groups.
While the group has a number of accomplishments, members said they view the community service not as an obligation but as something aspiring members should already have a passion for performing.
"[An aspiring member] should be willing to roll up her sleeves and actually work on issues that affect the community we live in," said Hayes-Cox, who is the chair of the anniversary banquet.
The organization is open to women who have a bachelor's degree or are working to acquire or have obtained a master's degree from the University. Women who join the community service-oriented sorority would be part of nearly 2,000 individuals involved in the 900 chapters nationwide.
The list of distinguish members of the national chapter of the sorority include the first black woman to serve as a bishop in the AME church, one of many alumni of the sorority who shares the organizations commitment to the betterment of society. Hayes-Cox emphasizes dedication toward prevalent issues as an essential concern of Delta Sigma Theta members.
" [An aspiring member] should be able to find issues that need to be addressed and go about making positive change," Hayes-Cox said. "She should be volunteer-oriented and socially aware when it comes to the community and society as a whole."
For more information or to purchase tickets, contact LaVell Hayes-Cox at 529-3982 or Jenise Wilson at 529-3466 and, during daytime hours, 453-4330. A limited amount of tickets are available at a cost of $25 per person and $200 for a table of 8.
Reporter Jessica Yorama can be reached at jyorama@dailyegyptian
|
Linear Mode
