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| Ontario Agricultural College dean Rob Gordon was a popular target at the dunk tank held last week as part of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development’s fun fair to raise money for the United Way. The fair raised $756. For information about other campus fundraising events, visit www.uoguelph.ca/unitedway. PHOTO BY CECELIA PAINE |
It’ll Be a Party!
Ghosts and goblins and College Idol contestants prepare for United Way show
BY MARY DICKIESON
If you dial quickly, you might still get a ticket for Friday’s Halloween lunch, costume party and College Idol competition. Call party planner Natalie Carter, research programs assistant in the Office of Research, at 519-826-3809, or find a ticket sale location at www.idol. uoguelph.ca.
If you find you’re too late to make it a date, don’t despair. The most important part of the event happens after the talent show when you can stuff the ballot boxes to vote for your favourite idol contestant. Every dollar is one vote for an idol, and every vote supports the United Way.
This is the second year the Office of Research has sponsored the unique fundraiser, and Carter says there will be some surprises. In the spirit of Halloween, the celebrity judges will be Canada’s own Celine Dion, Alaska’s Sarah Palin and the Fonz of TV sitcom fame.
Speaking of great costumes, partygoers who dress for the occasion will be eligible for one of two $25 gift cards to be awarded for best costumes. The prizes were donated by Christine Taub of the Office of Research.
Your $10 ticket also includes lunch and a Halloween treat. Hospitality Services staff working with Kathy Nahwegahbow will fire up the witch’s cauldron to serve butternut squash soup, a chicken or vegetarian wrap and a cold beverage. Catering manager Quinn Dam and his staff will be carving up some unique decorations for Peter Clark Hall.
Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m., and the talent show starts at noon with emcee Owen Roberts, director of research communications, and six idol contestants.
Campus United Way co-chair Jennifer Beehler, who was a 2008 idol contestant, will be on hand to help launch the show.
“This is one of those special events that make the University of Guelph’s United Way campaign unique,” says Beehler. “By building community spirit on campus, we are having fun and using our talents to raise money that will support thousands more in the greater Guelph community.”
The 2009 contestants are:
- Marketing management student Myles Beecroft and environmental sciences student Nicholas Resch. They met in residence during their first year at Guelph and started playing guitar and singing together in their spare time. Beecroft says they want to be the guys who entertain everyone else at a bonfire because their singing creates a mood and evokes strong emotions in their listeners.
- DVM student Robert Berger. He says he’s been surrounded by music his whole life and began playing piano when he could barely reach the keys on the family upright. He’s never taken formal piano lessons, but will perform music composed out of sheer passion for the instrument.
- Bollywood Fusion. This Department of Athletics dance class taught by Arpana Chakravarty has inspired a group of students to perform together for the idol competition. In their performance, Indian music meets the west, mixing both traditional and modern forms of dance.
- U of G’s homegrown student band, the Johnston Brothers. In September 2008, drummer Joseph Cull and singer/songwriter Christian Carlucci were jamming in a Johnston Hall residence room when Adam Helfand-Green brought in his guitar and played along. That was the beginning of the Johnston Brothers. Since then, they’ve added bassist Campbell Sanderson and gained a loyal fan following on campus.
- First-year animal biology student Tirth Vaishnav. Born in India, Vaishnav has a passion for traditional Indian dance. He has trained with world-renowned performer and choreographer Shiamak Davar and thinks of dance as a spiritual act to rejuvenate the spirit.
- Sarah Whelan, a staff member in Undergraduate Program Services. Employed at U of G since 2002, Whelan comes from a theatrical family and says music has been a big influence in her life. She’s been involved with community theatre in Guelph since 2006 and will bring her singing talent to the College Idol stage.
Ballot boxes for each contestant will be available in Peter Clark Hall after the show and in locations around campus (the college where the contestant studies/works) until Nov. 25. Tax receipts will be available for donations of $10 or more, and the money collected counts towards the college’s United Way goal.
Ballot box locations and the contestants’ videotaped performances will be posted online next week at www.idol.uoguelph.ca.
“Please take time to view the videos and vote for your favourite performer,” says Carter.
“I want to thank all of the contestants and the more than 30 volunteers who are helping to present the lunch and show, as well as everybody who buys a ticket, and especially those who vote with their dollars to support the work of the United Way of Guelph and Wellington.”
The campus United Way total has reached $324,257 (65 per cent of the $500,000 goal), and many fundraising events are planned for November, including raffles organized by the Animal Health Lab and the College of Physical and Engineering Science, a disco dance sponsored by the provost’s office and the Brass Taps, the Department of Geography book sale, an improv show sponsored by the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences and a Department of Athletics Zumbathon party. Get all the dates and details at www.uoguelph.ca/unitedway.