Drawing various communities together on Belmont’s campus, Alpha Tau Omega once again succeeded in one of its annual philanthropy events, Disco is Dead? on Friday evening in Neely Hall.
After the event was moved from the McWhorter patio to the Neely Dining Hall due to rain, the fraternity members adjusted accordingly in time to welcome students to a disco themed dance party. Students were dressed in go-go boots, picked-out Afros and jeans with just the right amount of flare.
The event, planned by ATO’s Disco is Dead? Chair, Joe LaMartina, involves an months of planning. The combination of mass marketing around campus, booking performers and figuring out the logistics of the venue make this one of ATO’s largest annual events. The mass marketing push included dancing sharks waiting outside the cafeteria urging people to attend the event, social media pages and fraternity brothers selling tickets in the Beaman throughout the week.
Disco Is Dead? is also the first opportunity for ATO’s newest members to see the work put into such an event. The new pledges have the chance to get involved with every aspect of the event, including performing the new-member dance.
“Their process is more learning how to put on a large philanthropy event and what goes behind the scenes for it to be successful, and they get to have fun with it too,” said ATO President Robert Storrow.
ATO, recently awarded the Top Chapter award, shows its commitment to its philanthropy, Blood:Water Mission, an international philanthropy that fights to end the HIV/AIDS and water crises.
The fraternity hosts several events benefiting the charity throughout the school year in addition to Disco is Dead?. These events include Teeter Totter, an upcoming event that is a collaboration with Alpha Sigma Tau and Jail Break which occurs during the spring semester.
“We have liaisons that work within Blood:Water who come in to show us exactly where our money goes to, so we have seen a well that ATO has built,” said Storrow.
This year in particular ATO thought of creative ways to expand their marketing push. Keeping with the trend of the ‘70s, fraternity members were seen around campus sporting their best mustaches.
“We wanted to do a marketing thing where we all grew mustaches, even the ones who were trying to beat all hereditary odds,” said Storrow.
In the end, rain did not stop these fraternity men from creating a night of dancing memories and laughter for the students of Belmont.
“Disco is all about having fun, and for us it’s money for our philanthropy that we believe in,” said Storrow.
This article was written by Meg MacDonald.
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