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May 10, 2006

Trinity University Students Raise $5,000 to Benefit Hurricane Katrina Victims

SAN ANTONIO – Three Trinity University students who had a vision of helping Hurricane Katrina victims, turned their love of theater and music into a philanthropic donation. They raised an impressive $5,000, which matches the fund-raising goal set by the United Way of San Antonio for all colleges and universities in this area.

It’s reflective of a pattern of philanthropy developing among Trinity students.

“Seeing it come together was phenomenal,” said Christina Childress, a graduating senior who is credited with first thinking of pooling student talent with professionals to stage a production titled “Our Tears Still Flood the City” in April. “It was a crazy idea I had.”

“And we were crazy enough to get on board with her,” chimed in Logan Gowan, a drama major from Brownsville, Texas, who is a candidate for graduation in December and was technical director of the production.

The lesson, Ms. Childress said, is that persistence can pay off. From the moment she gave voice to the idea, people stepped forward with offers to help or to donate materials to make the production a reality. Every aspect of “Our Tears” was student-driven – including the cast and crew, technical directors, ushers, and many of the performers. Ms. Childress, an English major, wrote the play. Formerly of Memphis, she plans to move to Austin after graduation to pursue a career as a theatrical playwright.

The third Trinity student who played a leadership role in the production was Sarah Hutt, who will graduate in May with a double major in Political Science and Chinese. Born in New Orleans, she produced “Our Tears” because she wanted to “do right” by her native city. To raise $5,000 was one goal, but she said an equally important goal was to unite various artistic communities, including those from New Orleans, San Antonio, and Trinity.

“We are artists who don’t own companies and couldn’t give products to the hurricane victims” (in the fall of 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast), Ms. Hutt said. “Plus, we wanted to celebrate the city. As artists, we could do that by sharing our talents.”

For their willingness to live out a dream, the trio was honored in March with the Thurman Adkins Award for Leadership, an award for outstanding student achievement in initiating a new program, service, or event. In issuing the award, Gage Paine, vice president for student affairs, lauded them for taking “an idea from a glimmer of hope through miles of red tape and interpersonal challenges” that has become a model for bringing campus and community together.

Lory Ioppolo, director of resource development for United Way of San Antonio, accepted the $5,000 check on behalf of the organization and pledged to send it to her counterparts in New Orleans, where the funds will be distributed to agencies providing relief. Last October, United Way officials set a goal of $5,000 from all colleges and universities in the San Antonio area, she said, adding that the organization wants to help students gain a sense of giving back to the community to prepare them for philanthropy when they enter the workforce. “Trinity alone met that goal. It’s wonderful. I’m so impressed by these students. Now they have experience in event planning and fund-raising that they can put on their résumé.”

In September, Trinity staff, faculty, and students donated more than $10,000 to hurricane relief efforts, primarily through the American Red Cross, and many volunteered at shelters for evacuees in the San Antonio area.

Earlier in this semester, students involved with fraternities and sororities held two fund-raisers to benefit the American Cancer Society. The Date Auction for Charity, an annual campaign held during Greek Week, raised $4,300. A presentation was made by the Greek Council, Spurs sorority, and Chi Delta Tau fraternity. The second event, a Dance Marathon sponsored by Gamma Chi Delta and Kappa Kappa Delta, netted about $7,000.

In April, nearly half of the senior class donated to the Senior Gift fund, breaking a participation record and raising nearly $5,800. Each senior who donated $20.06 was entitled to sign a brick inside the stairwell of the Murchison Tower. Matthew Badders, co-chair of the Senior Gift Committee, said the goal was 40 percent participation. “Hopefully, this will set a precedent,” he said. “Giving to the Senior Gift fund trains people that there’s tuition, and then there’s giving to the University. The purpose of the Senior Gift is not only to raise money for a first-year scholarship but also to get people to think about giving to the school.”

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© 2006 Trinity University