Big Man on Campus raises more than $7,500

By Noah Swift
Communication ’22

The Theta Phi Alpha sorority at Trine University raised $7,584.68 for Vera Bradley’s Foundation for Breast Cancer at this year's Big Man On Campus (BMOC) event.

Nicole Rothgeb, BMOC chair for Theta Phi Alpha, said the event looked a little different this year, but ran well.

“In the past we had live-streamed the event and last year we had part of the silent auction online, so this year we did not have to make as many adjustments as expected. We had to cancel War Night due to the maximum number of people allowed in a group, but this did not affect scoring,” she said.

Connor Moon, a biomedical engineering major representing Christian Campus House, was crowned Big Man On Campus, while Zach Deutsch, representing the Kappa Sigma fraternity, was awarded Mr. Pink Ribbon. Contestants were scored by money earned through Penny Wars and the Big Man On Campus pageant, held Feb. 5.

For Penny Wars, each contestant decorated a jug and tried to get it filled with as much money as possible. Pageant Night included talent, What BMOC Means to Me, pick-up line, dress like your hero, and Q&A.

This year’s guest speaker was Patty Rothgeb, Nicole Rothgeb’s grandmother, who was able to share her experience and journey through rounds of breast cancer and how important the BMOC event was to her.

“I felt very honored and proud. While preparing for the event and helping her brainstorm what to talk about, I realized I had never actually heard my grandma's story,” Nicole Rothgeb said. “It was also very comforting to have her there, since I could not have the support of all my sisters being there. I at least had the support of my grandma. She means so much to me and is one of my best friends!”

“We were excited and grateful for the amount we could raise during this time,” Nicole Rothgeb said. “We had a lot of donations from businesses and very grateful they were able to during this difficult time.”