Senior
Gift Committee Fundraising at the ’Sco
To the Editors:
This Friday, November 22, the Senior Gift Committee
will be hosting a fundraising party at the ‘Sco. Two different
groups will DJ, and there will be beer and snacks for everyone who
turns out (seniors–free, non-seniors $2). In return, we ask
that seniors make a gift to Oberlin. Gifts can be directed to any
Oberlin-affiliated department, program or organization (student
groups must be chartered). One area where Oberlin really needs your
support is scholarship. Please consider directing your gift to the
OberLegacy Scholarship, which provides money to rising seniors who
are unable to afford their senior year tuition. I’d give you
a speech about the value of an Oberlin education, but while I think
an Oberlin education is special, it’s not the primary reason
to give. More importantly, think of the relationships you have built
during your four years at college, the clubs you have joined, the
convocations you attended, and the parties you got smashed at. Nobody
should have to give that up or switch schools because they are unable
to afford tuition.
If you prefer, consider supporting an academic department (history,
biology, musicology), the library, an athletic team, or chartered
student group. Remember that you can specify where your donation
is allocated. With the recent economic downturn the endowment is
less profitable, and as we all know, the college has been forced
to cut funding across the board. Some seniors, who have already
contacted the committee, have expressed a desire to direct their
donations to the clubs and organizations they participated in during
their time at Oberlin. For example, several players on the Ultimate
Frisbee team have given money asking that it be used to send the
team to future tournaments. During our time at Oberlin, the college
has been able to give money to clubs, allowing students to participate
in activities like Frisbee tournaments, but this may not be possible
anymore if the economy does not recover. Seniors have the chance
to ensure that future Oberlin students have the same opportunities
that we had to participate in a myriad of club activities during
our four years at college.
Finally, seniors should donate money to the college because the
degree you graduate with does not have a fixed value. The more money
Oberlin has the better the college can be (if the money is spent
wisely), and the better a degree from Oberlin will appear.
The easiest way to give is simply to allow the college to keep some
of the money you have already given. Each student paid the college
a matriculation fee of two hundred dollars prior to enrolling. Upon
graduation the money is returned to you and not your parents, even
if your parents originally paid the fee. Seniors can give any or
all of this money back to the college. I encourage all seniors to
give, even if your gift is only five dollars, for all the reasons
I have mentioned, and because an anonymous donor has promised a
substantial contribution to the OberLegacy Scholarship should at
least thirty percent of the senior class make a gift of any size.
So, please come to the ‘Sco this Friday and show your support
for your club/department of choice or your junior friend who may
need financial assistance.
–Nicholas Calabrese
College senior
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