Fraternity event benefits children’s hospital

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Jarrett Plante, top, is hosting Tent Out for St. Jude Children’s Hospital with his fraternity brothers starting Sept. 16.

Jarrett Plante is a third-year marketing major. He is a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at RIT, which is hosting Tent Out for St. Jude Children’s Hospital starting at 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16, through Friday, Sept. 20, in the Infinity Quad. Tent Out for St. Jude Children’s Hospital is a week-long fundraising event with the money raised going to support St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Last year, Tau Kappa Epsilon raised more than $500 for the hospital.

Question: Where are you from?
Answer: I’m from Shapleigh, Maine.

Q: What brought you to RIT?
A: I don’t even remember what I told my guidance counselor I was interested in but she suggested I look into RIT. They gave me the best deal out of all the colleges I applied to and it couldn’t have turned out any better.

Q: What activities are you involved with on campus?
A: I am an orientation assistant, an intramural official, play between three and five intramurals every semester and a brother of Tau Kappa Epsilon.

Q: What is the Tent Out for St. Jude Children’s Hospital event?
A: Tent Out for St. Jude Children’s Hospital is an event that started a little over 13 years ago where the brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon set up camp in the Infinity Quad on campus for a week and collect donations 24/7. Granted, not a lot of people are around at 3 a.m. to donate, but just in case they are, we are there.

Q: Why do you think it is important to support St. Jude Children’s Hospital?
A: St. Jude does a phenomenal job with children and their families. Their daily operating costs are $1.8 million and through donations a large percentage of that is covered. I think it’s important to keep that number from rising for these families so it’s important to keep helping with those donations.

Q: What is your favorite part of this event?
A: It has to be the people. You meet some of the nicest, most interesting people when you’re having quick conversations with hundreds of people a day.

Q: What advice would you give to other RIT students?
A: Get involved. You can go to college for four years and spend all of your time in class, the library and in your room but you won’t make those connections that make life so great. Go out there and test all of your “I wonders” and “I wish I coulds” these next few years.

Q: What are your plans for after graduation?
A: I’d definitely like to go into something to do with sports marketing. Sports are my passion so I’d love to help spread them.