As the reality of the disaster left in Hurricane Katrina's wake has become apparent, Brown students, faculty and staff have mobilized to help with relief efforts. In a number of activities around campus, student groups, both autonomously and through the Student Activities Office, have worked to collect donations to send to affected areas in the Gulf Region.
In a meeting Friday, about 25 representatives of the Brown community, including members of the Undergraduate Council of Students and the Faculty Executive Committee, came together to discuss a University-wide response that would seek to "leverage the efforts of individual groups into one major campus event," said David Greene, vice president for campus life and student services.
Although the meeting was only the preliminary discussion about such an event, there was a general consensus among those present that the purpose of the benefit should be a multifaceted one - it should be educational, it should raise awareness, it should be a call to action and it should be a fundraiser.
The representatives also concluded that Brown's fundraising efforts should be directed toward rebuilding higher education institutions that would otherwise be unable to re-open due to infrastructure damage and lack of funding.
Greene cited the ability to have a direct, positive impact as a compelling reason to reach out to specific institutions. He said there was a sense that people did not want to see their donations "siphoned off into another organization," but that they wanted a more tangible result. It has not yet been determined how money would be distributed to the various universities.
"There is something very tangible" about students helping other students to rebuild, said UCS President Brian Bidadi '06. Partnerships with Gulf-area schools are symbolic of student solidarity as well as practical measures, he added.
Bidadi, like many of those involved in the Friday meeting, said he wants to make sure not only that the University response is of good quality, but also that it happens "as soon as possible."
Brown has already taken steps to help affected institutions. There are currently just over 60 undergraduates enrolled for the semester from Tulane, Dillard, Tugaloo, Xavier and Loyola universities. Additional-ly, Brown has joined Princeton in efforts to rebuild Dillard in New Orleans. A few faculty members from the affected universities will also be joining the Brown community during the rebuilding.
Greene emphasized that a University-wide response was not meant to exclude the efforts of individual student groups. He said the idea behind the larger benefit would be to "coordinate efforts so that we're not all bumping into one another, while at the same time not diminishing the creative contributions."
During the meeting, representatives discussed the structure of a campus-wide event. One idea was to have an entire week that would attract scholars, artists and high-profile speakers to raise awareness and culminate in a large fundraising benefit. With such a large block of time, there would be a chance for a variety of student groups to contribute.
Already, student organizations have shown their fundraising talents. During the first few weeks of the semester, a variety of organizations have contributed a substantial sum of money to relief efforts.
On Sept. 6, the same day as a vigil held for victims of Katrina, Carrie-Ann Gordon '08 and other Residential Peer Leaders held a dollar drive outside Faunce House that, together with a matching donation from Whole Foods, earned $3,800. The proceeds from this effort will go to the American Red Cross.
In another matching donation drive, a cappella groups the Brown Derbies and the Chattertocks raised around $2,480 for the American Red Cross from a combination of the approximately 350 audience members at their Sept. 10 concert and private donations.
One of the largest student-run events was the final concert in WBRU's Summer Concert Series. The independent radio station chose to donate one dollar from each of the 3,400 people in attendance at the Sept. 13 concert held at Station Park that was headlined by the group My Chemical Romance.
Dunkin' Donuts, the concert's major sponsor, initially agreed to match the audience's donation, but in the end decided to top it off, bringing the total to $7,000. This money will be given to the United Way Hurricane Katrina Response Fund. "We chose this organization because it is a well-known charity in Rhode Island and because we really wanted to make sure to give to a group that would address both short-term and long-term needs of victims," said Elaine Kim '06, WBRU's general manager. WBRU has also posted a list of charities on its Web site for donors who are looking for a place to send aid.
Many on-campus groups are beginning to brainstorm about potential fundraisers.
UCS, Greek Council and the Student Creative Arts Council are planning a September 30 benefit on Wriston Quad and have submitted their proposal to the Student Activities Office, wrote Phi Kappa Psi president Alykhan Karim '06 in an e-mail.
The Brown University Community Committee will discuss the University's response to Hurricane Katrina at a meeting today at 3 p.m. in Leung Gallery.
Greene hopes that by "capitalizing on the good energy and people's desire to help" and pulling together some of these groups, the University's response could be "one of those great Brown events, an opportunity to participate in something important."
