MY CAMPUS CELEBS
As we breeze through the month of October, we’ve seen that Elon’s campus has been thriving with events, activities and fundraisers supporting numerous different causes. One event in particular that is special to this month, since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, falls on this very Thursday. Zeta Tau Alpha’s Annual Think Pink event is open to everyone on campus from 5-8 PM at the Lakeside Plaza. There will be acapella performances, an eating contest, survivor speakers and all the baked goods your heart can desire. As you can imagine, a ton of planning has gone into this event – and the two rockstars who teamed up to organize it are here to share their experience!
Names:
Alex Clayton (left) & Tori Sonlin (right)
Ages:
21, Seniors
Hometowns:
A – Charlottesville, VA.
T – Avon, CT.
Majors:
A – BFA Acting Major, Minor in Psychology
T – Public Health and Human Service Studies
Other Campus Involvement:
A – Performing arts, ZTA philanthropy, Treasurer of graduating BFA class, volunteer usher shows, and a member of EFFECT.
T – Elon Volunteers, Public Health Society
Fun fact:
A – I have an obsession with Taco Bell, I even went twice in the same night a couple weeks ago.
T – No one in the world has my last name except for people related to me!
Tell us a little about your experience with planning ZTA’s annual Think Pink Event. What is the main goal of the event?
A – Planning this event has been a year-long process that started immediately after Tori and I were elected Think Pink Chairs at the end of last fall. Luckily, the two of us had some practice for planning/running the event last spring with our first annual Think Pink Picnic!
For Think Pink, we try to keep the environment light and fun with various activities, performances, and free sweets, while still spreading awareness about such a serious issue. We accomplish this mostly through our survivor speakers – this year my own mother and aunt will be speaking.
While of course we hope to raise money to benefit our philanthropy, Breast Cancer Awareness and Education, at this event (our goal is to raise $5,000 by the end of the semester), educating and spreading awareness – making it real for people – is the main goal.
What was the most difficult/time-consuming part of planning Think Pink?
T – The most difficult part of planning Think Pink is getting everything organized and ready for the event. Many of the things we do can’t happen until the week of, so it has been pretty crazy getting it all together for the final event! This is our biggest philanthropy event of the year, so it’s important to make sure everything goes as planned!
In years past, what has been your favorite part of the event itself?
A – My favorite part has always been the survivor speakers. Their stories are always so incredible and inspiring I can’t help but cry. I miss that we’re no longer associated with Yoplait, because I used to think the yogurt-eating contest was really funny, but this year I think our Jell-O eating competition will be just as good!
What was it that made you want to take the reigns in planning the event?
T – I’ve always had a passion for philanthropy and service. This event touches the lives of so many, and it honors such an important cause. Breast cancer has affected my grandmother, as well as many close family friends, so it is important for me to help the cause, even in a small way. 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their life, and our goal is to help young women take preventative measures in order to protect themselves from this disease. Planning this event was the perfect way for me to combine my love for philanthropy, while honoring a cause that is so near and dear to my heart.