WEST HAVEN–Every year, incoming students flock to the University of New Haven, dead set on starting the new year of classes, activities, and events on the right foot. Students take advantage of our new classrooms, the Beckerman Recreation Center, the soon-to-be-established Henry C. Lee Center, and the clubs and organizations that make up student life. But what attracted these students to UNH? What keeps these buildings and groups running? What makes the University of New Haven a bustling and popular school?
In some ways, we have the workers of the Phone-A-Thon and the Senior Challenge to thank for the growing success and population of our university.
SPUD, Students Promoting Undergraduate Development, is a student-run organization that focuses on expanding undergraduate knowledge on giving back. President Brendan Pearson expressed the need for continual student support, “Only 75 percent of the money needed to live, learn, and socialize on campus comes from student tuition. The rest is raised through fundraising. Who better to ask for support then the people that use this money the most?”
The Phone-A-Thon, a continuous alumni contact association, aims to reach students that have already graduated and parents of current students. The group aims to raise awareness of monetary needs on campus. As Supervisor Jessica Negron pointed out, “Increased alumni support raises the Alumni Giving Percentage of our school. If more alumni give money, we have a higher percentage as a school, and therefore the value of our school increases.”
When the value of the university increases, the value of student degree’s increase, making it easier to find and hold stable jobs. In today’s growing economic problems, what better way is there to spend money than to give back to the university and gain professional support at the same time?
Finally, the workers are involved in the Senior Challenge, an activity meant to raise money from graduating seniors. The senior class, which is made up of the most recent graduates to leave the halls of the University of New Haven, have been responsible in the past for supplying money for the Beckerman Recreation Center. This year, the Senior Challenge is pushing seniors to give to an even more profitable donation: student scholarships. By donating money to the university, graduating seniors will get the chance to give back to incoming students with the best gift of all: those lifeline scholarships that so many of us depend on.
The real question is: how can you get involved? Most of us on campus are not workers for the Phone-A-Thon, most are not members of SPUD, and most have never heard of the Senior Challenge. What can you do to give back?
First: talk to your parents about the Phone-A-Thon! Chances are they have gotten this call before. Tell them that donating to the school not only helps you, but helps the students that will come through after you.
Secondly: If you are really into giving back, consider joining SPUD! They may not be USGA-recognized, but Brendan, Jessica, and past president Eric Harding do a great job in creating awareness around campus.
Finally: if you are a senior, look out for the upcoming Senior Challenge! Tables will be set up during the Campbell Crawl and the Senior Week Barbeque. Just a few dollars goes a long way toward a goal of more student scholarships! These workers (yes, they are students too) do a lot to attempt to make the University of New Haven as good as it possibly could be. Join in the action and do your part!
