Julia Starzyk Kersey ’99 remembers the spirited energy that spread through her dorm when she and her friends would play That’s Stupid! — a game where “dorm residents were nominated for some very silly dares.
“When I was there, one friend was dared to eat a dozen Dan’z cookies and drink a gallon of milk in one sitting, and another friend had to read the rules of the dorm as a barking dog,” says Kersey, who lived in Northwestern’s Communications Residential College (CRC) for three years.
But it wasn’t just for laughs — the game was part of the dorm’s beloved fundraising tradition, Radiothon. While Kersey and her peers completed various dares, their antics were broadcast over the dorm’s radio network, encouraging listeners to donate. As money flowed in, the dares became increasingly more ridiculous.
Radiothon has been held annually at Northwestern since 1988, when students organized a fundraiser in honor of William Arnold ’89, a former CRC resident who died of cardiac arrhythmia in April of his junior year. During the two-day charity event, residents use the dorm’s in-house audio production room to broadcast nonstop radio entertainment, including music, talk shows, trivia contests and silly dares.
Radiothon’s proceeds have supported both the American Heart Association (AHA) and CRC’s equipment fund. Last year’s Radiothon, held in November, raised about $2,000 for the AHA. Over the years, as many as 1,500 Northwestern students have supported Radiothon, and the memorial has raised more than $50,000 for the AHA, according to CRC faculty chair Roger Boye, associate professor emeritus-in-service in the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.
“To me Radiothon is about taking all that creativity and talent and using it to do some real good in the world,” says Kersey, who is a national marketing and communications director for the AHA. When applying for her first job with the organization in 2008, she held Arnold’s story in the back of her mind.
“I learned at a young age that heart disease does not discriminate,” she says. “With Will passing away at just 21 years old, it reinforced for me that the mission of the AHA applies to everyone.”
Kersey helps implement a national communications strategy for the AHA’s women’s health initiative Go Red for Women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death for women in the U.S. Go Red seeks to empower women and provide them with education about risks, warning signs and healthy living habits.
“So often women put everyone else’s needs before their own,” says Kersey. “We want to make sure women are aware of their risk so they can make their heart health a priority.”
Though her days of Radiothon dares are long behind her, Kersey carries the tradition’s message with her every day.
“It’s really been exciting to continue to work with the AHA as I’ve grown and transitioned out of college,” Kersey says. “Every bit of awareness we raise means more people living longer, healthier lives.”
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