Friday, August 19, 2016

Game of Thrones Gets Political

 

Chase Berlinghof currently attends Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he majors in economics and minors in financial economics and engineering management. When he is not busy with school, Chase Berlinghof enjoys watching HBO’s Game of Thrones. To promote the release of season six on digital platforms, DVD, and Blu-Ray, HBO recently launched the We Are the GOT campaign, featuring mock political campaign ads for four of the show’s main characters.

Daenerys Targaryen, running on the slogan of Break the Wheel, runs with Tyrion Lannister. Her campaign is one of hope and change, with her video promising to free her followers from servitude and offer them freedom.

Jon Snow’s slogan of Serve the People reflects his video’s no-nonsense tone, where the Lord Captain of the Night’s Watch reminds his followers that the election is not about friendship, but survival. His running mate, who also narrates part of his ad, is the outspoken fan favorite Lyanna Mormont.

Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish is next, with his ad’s slogan simply reading, The Game. The title is perfect for Littlefinger, who has slowly risen to power over the show’s six seasons to become a lord whose influence changes the tide of battles and helps shape kingdoms. His running mate is Sansa Stark, the strong but soft-spoken daughter of Ned Stark and half-sister of Jon Snow.

Finally, there’s Cersei Lannister. As one of the show’s clearest villains and the current ruler of Westeros, Cersei's campaign slogan simply reads, Power is Power. Cersei's ad, accompanied by the haunting song Rains of Castamere, depicts her as stately, decisive, obeyed, and powerful, all words that are displayed across the screen. Her running mate is Qyburn, the deviously dark maester responsible for raising the dead and helping Cersei take control of King’s Landing.

Game of Thrones is scheduled to return to TV in the summer of 2017, with only two more seasons currently planned for the show.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

What is Relay for Life?

Vanderbilt University economics alumnus Chase Berlinghof's charitable work includes his service as philanthropy chair for the Tennessee Nu Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, coordinating the fulfillment of community service obligations by fraternity members. In line with his philanthropic efforts, Chase Berlinghof is a strong supporter of the Relay for Life charity. Relay for Life is a fundraising initiative sponsored by the American Cancer Society that helps raise awareness and further research efforts to help find a cure for the illness. Every year, more than four million people across 20 countries participate in the event, which not only focuses on helping to find a cure for those currently suffering from the disease but also on honoring those who have survived and remembering those who lost the fight against cancer. The event was first conceived in 1985 at a Tacoma, Washington track, where Dr. Gordy Klatt decided to walk and run for 24 consecutive hours to help raise money for the American Cancer Society. The next year, 340 people joined in with Klatt to help raise money to fight cancer. Since then, Relay For Life has become one of the biggest fundraising and cancer awareness programs in the world, and has raised almost $5 billion over the past 30-plus years.