Phi Mu sorority chooses 'Miracle Men'
Contestants in the Miracle Men competition worked at the book drive.
March 7, 2008
Emcees Tyler Sangermano, Emily Marler and Amanda Jacobs give freshman Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity member Chris Masters and his brothers their award at the end of the Miracle Men competition Thursday at The Blue Note. Money raised at the competition will be donated to the Children's Miracle Network at the Children's Hospital in Columbia.
Freshman Brandon Green and Phi Mu sorority member and sophomore Rachel Musolf dance during the costume portion of the Miracle Men competition on Thursday at The Blue Note. The men of Alpha Gamma Rho, Sigma Pi, Pi Kappa Alpha and Sigma Nu fraternities participated in the competition.
Accompanied by Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity members sophomore Jake Zambaldi, freshman Trent Dulle and sophomore Nick Bretz, junior Travis Militzer performs 'Miracle Man' during the talent portion of the competition put on by the Phi Mu sorority Thursday at The Blue Note. The hour-long show included competitions in formal wear, costume and talent.
(Click graphic to enlarge)
Containers of Play-Doh and Curious George balloons along with an assortment of candy decorated tables at The Blue Note on Thursday for Phi Mu sorority’s Miracle Men competition with the theme of “Forever Young.”
The competition was the final event of Phi Mu sorority’s annual philanthropy week.
Phi Mu sorority Philanthropy Chairwoman Tyler Sangermano organized the event and a book drive Monday and Tuesday.
Both benefit the Children’s Miracle Network and the Children’s Hospital in Columbia.
Members of four fraternities — Alpha Gamma Rho, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Nu and Sigma Pi — competed in the categories of formal wear, costume, talent and a final king question.
Four members of the different fraternities competed for the title of king, and the chapters competed for the title of “Miracle Men.”
The chapters earned points by participating in the other philanthropy events earlier in the week.
“Miracle Men” started with a formal wear competition where one fraternity member showcased a plaid suit and another wore a tuxedo T-shirt.
Next came the costume competition. Junior Lance Struckhoff sported a yellow banana suit. Emcees senior Amanda Jacobs and sophomore Emily Marler asked Struckhoff to explain his rationale behind the suit.
“Well, I’m in a room full of girls, so I wanted to dress up as a gigantic banana,” he said.
The members of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity danced in workout wear for their talent.
At one point, they jumped down from the stage and danced with the judges, who were sorority members.
The competitors of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity wrote a song about what they thought a miracle man should be.
“I will cuddle, won’t fall asleep,” the lyrics promised. “If you’re lucky, I’ll even rub your feet.”
Jacobs, who is a former Maneater staff writer, said she was pleased with how engaged the participants were in the show.
“It’s hard to get college kids excited sometimes,” she said.
Jacobs said she thinks the guys were so animated because the competition is something different. She said she doesn’t know of any other philanthropy like Miracle Men, and it allowed the participants to have fun.
“There was a lot of opportunity to be creative,” she said.
Wednesday, the judges interviewed the king candidates but waited to ask them their final question until Thursday’s competition.
The candidates answered questions about topics such as their favorite childhood memory and their greatest accomplishment.
At the end of “Miracle Men,” Jacobs and Marler announced freshman Matthew Lang as king. They presented him with a gold belt and a gift certificate to Burger King.
Sangermano announced Thursday after the belting of the king that throughout the week the sorority raised $3,260.34 and about 100 books.
The week started Monday with a book drive. The drive, which ran Monday and Tuesday in Brady Commons had a station for students to drop off children’s books. Students could also donate money to the Children’s Miracle Network there.
This was Phi Mu sorority’s first book drive, Sangermano said. In the past, the members raised funds by setting up a table in Brady Commons and asking people for money.
Sangermano said she didn’t enjoy asking people for money and wouldn’t want to make the members of her sorority do something she disliked.
She said she came up with the idea of sponsoring a book drive in Brady Commons because of its proximity to the bookstore.
“I wanted people to be able to go into the bookstore and student charge books and then drop them off,” Sangermano said. “That’s basically what happened.”
Some of the participants in Thursday’s Miracle Men competition volunteered at the book drive and received points for doing so.
Freshman Jessica England, who volunteered at the drive, said when the Miracle Men participants worked the table, they received points for how many books were donated during their shift. These points counted toward their overall point total in the competition.
England said she and the rest of her sorority were satisfied with the results and hopes the book drive continues in the coming years.
“Everyone was really pleased with it,” England said. “We want to keep it going.”
In addition to collecting donated books, members of Phi Mu sorority have been donating their time by visiting the Children’s Hospital every other Tuesday since January.
All books will be donated to the Children’s Hospital the next time the sorority members visit, Sangermano said.
In groups of four or five, the members interact with the children by doing various activities including reading and coloring, freshman Amanda Gray said.
“I think it’s something that everyone really likes to do,” she said.
Gray said her favorite aspect of volunteering is seeing the different children and their excitement when the women of Phi Mu sorority play with them.
“It’s really special to help children and see the difference it makes for them,” Gray said.
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