The second floor of the Student Center was full of laughter, music and the strong smell of pizza Thursday night.

Delta Sigma Phi, a new fraternity on campus, hosted the Pizza Wars event to raise money for sexual assault awareness week.

“A few months ago, I had a close family friend who was raped,” Brady Ruffer, Delta Sigma Phi president, said. “I know fraternities get a bad reputation with sexual assault happening in their houses. We’re a new, upcoming fraternity, and our goal was to make the Greek community better. So if we can get the fraternities to stand up together, hopefully we can initiate some change.”

Students paid a $5 entry fee that covered the cost for all-you-can-eat pizza from 11 different companies. The students received three tickets after paying, which were used to vote for the company of their choice. The winner of the event was Belleria’s Pizza.

Nearly 350 students came to Pizza Wars to indulge in the variety of pizza. Freshman biotechnology major Katie Czinger enjoyed her time at the event.

“Belleria’s had the best pizza,” Czinger said. “I gave them all of my votes. Their pierogi pizza was different and so delicious.”

All the proceeds will go to Townhall II, a local nonprofit that works with battered women, sexually assaulted women and people with drug or alcohol addictions.

“It’s a safe place of resources for many people,” Ruffer said. “They are facing many budget cuts from the state, so the money will go towards that.”

Many students also appreciated that a fraternity was getting involved with this cause.

“I think it’s great that they are raising money and awareness about sexual assault,” sophomore nursing major Rebecca Spott said. “It was a fun event that attracted a lot of attention.”

At the end of the two-hour event, Delta Sigma Phi tallied their profits at $1,735. They plan to make this an annual event, and the winner’s trophy will travel every year.

“I think it was an excellent evening,” said Greg Jarvie, vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. “Raising over $1,700 was a great thing for such a wonderful organization like Townhall II.”

Contact Kate Murphy at [email protected].