And the countdown begins....

A dozen of the most eligible bachelors at Cornell, showing off their talent, intelligence, and muscles onstage for all to see? It can only mean one thing: Ivy Man!

But this annual all-male beauty pageant doesn't just take place to provide attendees with a little bit of eye candy.

..........no really, it doesn't.

It's a fundraiser for Alpha Phi's philanthropy, which is, of course, heart disease. It's actually one of the events that convinced me not only to join the Greek system, but to become a member of Alpha Phi.

Aside from the fact that I found Ivy Man hilarious and entertaining, I was even more pleased to discover that all of the proceeds from the event go toward Cardiac Care. All four of my grandparents suffered from heart disease, so the issue has always been a personal and prevalent force in my life.

Last year, I got really involved in the planning of the event and I loved it! I sold tickets, promoted the event online and through posters, and was a beauty coach for one of the contestants. My friend Savannah and I took funny pictures of our guy around campus, and created a unique Facebook page to build support for him. We even helped him plan his Justin Bieber themed talent, perfect his swimsuit walk, and practice for his onstage question.

The competition itself consists of talent, onstage question, evening wear, and swimsuit, and our "People's Choice Award" is a great way to raise money in addition to our ticket sales. Audience members are asked to donate to the jar of their favorite contestant.

The man who currently reigns over the title of Ivy Man was also the winner of the People's Choice Award last year...Mr. Adam Belfer, the "Cornell Gangster":

Cumulatively, we raised $2,500.00 for cardiac care last year! We give these proceeds directly to the Alpha Phi Foundation, which then donates to major organizations like the American Heart Association. The video below is a summary of why our philanthropy is so important to us:

This year, we are hoping to beat that total. My friend Alex and I have already been hard at work coaching our contestant this year, and it looks like it's going to be stiff competition. I mean, we even have a pair of twins competing!

Alpha Phi's Ivy Man Competition will be held tomorrow night at 7:00 PM in Statler Auditorium. Can't wait!

Joanna

Happy, Healthy Hearts

"Aerophobia," or the fear of flying, is one of the 10 most common phobias. Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Cher even panic when they have to board! But did you also know that the annual risk for an American of being killed in a plane crash is 1 in 11 million? With odds like these, it seems pretty illogical to fear flying so much.

What seems even more illogical, is that I have never come across a person who fears heart disease. Can you recall a single time that someone has expressed his or her "cardiophobia"? Do you know what heart disease is? See how you score on this quick quiz to find out how much you know.

How did you do? If you didn't score too highly, read the following statistics and to see why you should become more concerned and educated about heart disease.

• the number one killer in the United States, Americans have a 1 in 5 chance of dying from heart disease
• every 30 seconds in the U.S., a person dies of heart disease
• that's 2,800 deaths a day, and over one million every year
• heart disease can strike at any age, and affects both genders

Scary? Yes. But I'm not suggesting you develop "cardiophobia" and live your life in fear of the disease. In fact, I'm suggesting the opposite. I just want you to do two things:

1.) Learn about heart disease

2.) Take simple steps to prevent it from affecting your life

In other words, I'm asking for awareness and action! Visit the American Heart Association website, learn about the condition and what you can do to stay healthy.

In the meantime, here's a brief lesson:

Heart Disease: Any disorder that affects the heart; synonymous with cardio disease but not cardiovascular disease

5 easy steps to reduce the risk of heart disease:

• eat a balanced diet
• reduce stress
• avoid smoking
• exercise regularly
• understand your family history of heart disease

Joanna