Deanna Caruso
Equinox Staff
The stairs leading up to the Mabel Brown Room were wrapped with red and yellow ribbons, big bright balloons filled the air and blaring Rihanna music played as the background beat. The colored lights filled the room with energy as Keene State College sororities and fraternities started to fill in the empty seats. Written in huge letters on the projector screen were the words: Psi Upsilon.
On Tuesday, March 5, Psi Upsilon held an event called, “PSI U Think You Can Dance.” This event helped raise money for the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF). Junior and PSI U treasurer, Alyssa Nichols, said, “We started planning this event in September, but it has been in our mind since last spring.”
When it came to advertising the event, Nichols and her fraternity spread the word with posters placed in all the dormitories, academic buildings, a banner in the L.P. Young Student Center, and they also created a Facebook group.
Not only were KSC students welcomed, but anyone who wanted to donate or attend the event was more than welcomed to–a $2 fee was paid at the door with 100 percent of the proceeds going directly to the Sam Schmidt Foundation.
PSI U chose the Sam Schmidt Foundation to raise money for because Sam Schmidt is a PSI U alumnus at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif; he was also a former Indy Racing League Driver. Schmidt’s world changed on January 6, 2000, when he was in Orlando, Fla. practicing at the Walt Disney World Speedway.
As his car exited turn two, it hit the wall with tremendous impact. Schmidt was then airlifted to a local hospital to discover he was diagnosed as a quadriplegic.
Schmidt has regained neck strength and partial shoulder movement but still remains paralyzed from the chest down. Schmidt then created SSPF in 2000 to help other individuals with spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders. The main services that SSPF provides are funding scientific research, medical treatment, rehabilitation, technological advances and providing quality of life grants. Schmidt said, “There are three areas on which I have asked the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation to concentrate on its fundraising efforts. The first is the medical research. The second, innovative equipment that can be used for rehabilitation. And, third, I want to help people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities by addressing quality of life issues.”
To help raise awareness for this cause, events are held around the nation. An Annual Racing to Recovery Golf Tournament, Racing to Recovery Gala, 5k runs and walks, wheelathon races and KSC’s PSI U Think You Can Dance. The event held on campus had three judges who deliberated over the three dance acts with the best performance receiving the winning title and taking home the trophy.
Junior Alli Bloom and sophomore Lynn Tilden, who belong to the sorority Phi Sigma Sigma, said they were nervous to perform their act based on the movie “Grease,” since the only time they practiced was on the day of the event. However, Tilden said, “I wanted to do the dance because I know it is for a good cause and Greek community supports each other.” Their nerves seemed to be set to the side as they lit up the stage with their 1950s dance moves and had the crowd singing vibrantly along. Next on stage was Pat Walsh, a recent graduate of KSC. Walsh performed a six-minute act to the Buffalo Bill dance scene in “Silence of the Lambs.”
“I know that this is the most awkward dance for people to watch. I’ll probably get a lot a weird reactions,” Walsh said before his performance. The crowd roared with laughter as Walsh seductively danced on stage with a silk robe, a speedo bathing suit, a hat with a wig attached and red lipstick.
Last on stage was a break-dancing performance by Max Moran, Mike Murphy and Rushane Kelly. Each took individual turns showing off their skills and with the moves they had and the vote from the judges, took home the winning trophy. PSI U’s Nichols said she is proud of what she and her fraternity have done.
“Doing this event really makes me happy that I can put something together like this, because I never thought in my life I would be in charge of something like this, I feel so good about myself and my fraternity and how much work we’ve done,” Nichols said. Psi Upsilon ended up collecting over $200 at their event. Kelsey McCarthy a member of PSI U said, “I’m happy with the turnout, hard work paid off and the turnout was great.” To find out more about the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation or to make a donation, go to SamSchmidt.org.
Deanna Caruso can be contacted at
dcaruso@keene-equinox.com