A PITCH TO PITCH IN

   “My name is Casey Maugh and I’m here to talk to you about a project we’re doing in Communication Arts and Sciences,” says the young woman who has just rushed up to the front of the room. “I know you were all getting out early and this won’t take long, I promise.”

   It’s Tuesday, January 25, and graduate student Casey Maugh is making her pitch for help for tsunami victims. What’s unusual about this appeal is that it’s coming from a department on campus instead of the University as a whole, and is being carried out by students—graduate and undergraduate. They started three days ago and will finish today, with a goal of $2,500.00.

   “There are lots of generic places to give but we think the United Nations Population Fund is one of the best,” Maugh continues. “They primarily help women and children and help rebuild schools so it’s consistent with the department’s mission.”

    Maugh asks the students to dig into their pockets and find any spare change or dollars they’re able to give. One student is staying behind, scribbling furiously in a checkbook. Maugh then gathers the donation envelopes as the students leave the class and explains that the appeal has struck a chord.

   “I’ve had many students ask me if they could take extra envelopes to other clubs or organizations that they are members of,” she says. “They wanted to do something but were not sure how to go about it.”

   This project began with Walid Afifi, associate professor of communication arts and sciences. He called a meeting together and asked for suggestions on how to help. About ten students showed up. They all agreed it was a worthy project and decided which organization to support.

   “This project is consistent with other volunteer efforts CAS has done in the past,” he points out. “About three years ago, Amanda Kundrat, one of our graduate students, passed away after a failed heart transplant. The department has since worked with the Red Cross on a blood drive in her name. We teach the importance of civic engagement in many of our classes. It’s an integral part of our mission.”

   The group felt it was very important that the appeal come from someone other than the course instructor so that no one felt coerced. With about 3,000 students in CAS classes, the group had its work cut out for them. After drafting the appeal and passing it by Jim Dillard, the head of the department, they fanned out, covering about 100 classes in just four days.

    Maugh, a Mississippi-born Ph.d. student in rhetoric, says that the undergraduate students made their appeals in their own classes, which weren’t as daunting as some of the larger classes, which were left to the graduate students. This morning’s pitch, says Maugh, was met with a respectable response.

   “The students that do give typically donate five to twenty dollars—but we have gotten as much as fifty dollars from individual students,” she says. “That’s a lot more than we anticipated.”

   The group created a website and as of February 8, has raised almost $2,755, surpassing their goal. Afifi echoes Maugh, in his reaction to the appeal.

   “The entire department has pitched in to help—undergrads, graduate students, faculty, and staff—and it was really a group effort,” he says. “People have really surprised us with their generosity.”