Sorority raises money with show

When Jamie Habberfield stepped onto the runway at Delta Phi Epsilon’s fashion show, he… When Jamie Habberfield stepped onto the runway at Delta Phi Epsilon’s fashion show, he didn’t walk, or even strut – he danced the entire time.

“I thought the show could use a few dance moves,” Habberfield, a Pitt alumnus, who danced to the song, “Virtual Insanity” by Jamiroquai, said.

The girls of Delta Phi Epsilon held their second annual fashion show, “Comfortable in Your Own Jeans,” Thursday evening in the William Pitt Union. All of the proceeds from the event will go to the sorority’s national philanthropic partner, National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.

The women of Delta Phi Epsilon were joined on the runway by a handful of guy friends, as well as ladies from Chi Omega, Kappa Delta and the Campus Women’s Organization.

The models showed off styles from local designers from the South Side, Lawrenceville and Shadyside. The stores donated all of the outfits, including the purses and necklaces, specifically for the fashion show.

The students even showed off their own styles and clothing, to the beat of their favorite songs.

Alisa Bartash, the Delta Phi Epsilon sister who organized the event, estimated that 120 people attended.

Many of the members of Delta Phi Epsilon know someone who is anorexic. Bartash said she knew a girl in high school who suffered from the disease.

“She was very bad,” Bartash said. “She was down to about 90 pounds.”

Bartash said she feels that the media plays a major role in lowering girls’ self-esteem.

“We all grew up playing with Barbie,” said Bartash, “and she’s very disproportionate.”

Darcy Ganf, a spokeswoman for ANAD, said that approximately 8 million people in the United States currently suffer from anorexia and that 90 percent of these cases are women.

Ganf also said that out of all of the people who will suffer from anorexia, 86 percent will start showing signs before they are 20 years old. Many of these people will develop anorexia in college, if not in high school or junior high.

“It’s a big adjustment going from living at home to living in a dorm room,” Ganf said. “For many students, it’s very stressful.”

But Ganf said that the media may not be entirely at fault.

While the media may portray unrealistic body images, people with anorexia are more likely to have a distorted body image, and see themselves as fat or unattractive even if they are dangerously thin.

Ganf said that no one really knows what causes the disease but that it is a combination of genetic, environmental and psycho-social factors. In addition, there is no absolute way to tell if someone has anorexia.

“Some develop rituals around eating,” said Ganf, who said that some people will cut their food into extremely small pieces, or even make up excuses for never eating meals.

“Every sufferer has a different process,” said Ganf, “and recovery is different for everyone as well.”

Bartash, who modeled in the sorority’s fashion show last year, said that her organization is trying to spread the message about the disease.

“Many girls have tendencies to have the disorder even if it’s not diagnosed,” Bartash said.