An annual tradition for KSC’s Delta Phi Epsilon (DPhiE) sorority returned last week as the organization hosted its ANAD Week events, which recognize and fundraise for the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.
Members of DPhiE tabled in the L.P. Young Student Center lobby with various activities throughout the week, which culminated in the traditional ANAD karaoke event in the Night Owl Café (NOC) on Friday, March 6.
Sophomore and DPhiE Vice President of Programming Alayna Reeves, who organized the week’s events as part of her position, talked about how the sorority supports ANAD with the tradition.
“ANAD is one of our philanthropic sponsorships. We collaborate with them each year,” Reeves said. “All the money we make from fundraising for them, we give to that foundation. It is non-profit, so they provide support for people free of charge.”
Reeves also explained the different activities that the sorority hosted on each day of ANAD Week.
On Monday, she said the sorority celebrated self-love with No Makeup Monday and a Build-Your-Own Bouquet activity at its Student Center table.
This was followed by Trash Your Insecurities Tuesday, which allowed students to write down things they felt insecure about on papers that they were able to symbolically throw into a trash can.
Then on Wednesday, the DPhiE table provided candy and encouraged students to write love notes for themselves or someone else in their lives.
Finally, the sorority hosted a thrift event on Thursday and Friday with a wide variety of clothing available for students to take home with them.
Reeves said the events and messaging of ANAD Week were important for her sorority to share with the campus community.
“I feel like there’s a lot of social pressures in college about body image,” she said. “Because last month was Eating Disorder Awareness Month, I feel like it’s very important to not just have it revolve around one month or one week. I think it should be normalized and spoken about within the community, and it’s great that we have the opportunity to support something that affects so many people.”
While this was her first time attending ANAD Week karaoke, Reeves said it was the part of the week that she was most looking forward to.
“I know that the sisterhood really likes it,” she said. “I feel like karaoke is a way that everyone can express themselves, which is what ANAD Week is about in a way. It’s important to let everyone have space to let stuff out and express themselves.”
Four DPhiE sophomores who attended the ANAD karaoke event in the NOC, Jordan Gall, Miriam Parisi, Morgan Hoppes and Emily Stokel, shared why they enjoyed the annual ANAD Week finale event.
“I thought it was absolutely amazing. It’s been an absolute blast to be able to hold this event for people,” said Gall.
“I had so much fun. I was up there like half the time with all my friends. It was a great little bonding moment,” Parisi said.
“I also had so much fun,” added Hoppes. “I love singing. I’m really sweaty now because I was singing and dancing really hard.”
“I had a lot of fun singing with my friends and my sisters. I think it was a really good event to raise awareness for ANAD Week, which is really cool,” Stokel concluded.
Gall also talked about why she liked being able to host and celebrate ANAD Week with her sorority.
“I love the idea that we promote something so important and that affects so many people, especially women,” she said. “It’s really undiscussed and stigmatized, so to be able to have a week where we focus on this is really beautiful.”
Justin Dearborn can be contacted at
jdearborn@kscequinox.com
