Philanthropy is the goal for committee

by Erica Ryan
Staff Writer

Campus leaders hope treating students to a free outdoor concert during a warm May evening will pay off in cold, hard cash.

Student Campaign Advancement Committee members planned the event to kick off a fundraising campaign and pique student interest in philanthropy, said Alissa Galford, member and senate public relations chair. The concert will be 6 to 8 p.m. on May 11 in a field adjacent to Grover Center.

Athens vendors will provide food and local radio stations will cover the event, Galford said. A car or tuition waiver might be raffled off as well.

The committee is part of Ohio University's Bicentennial Campaign, an effort to raise $200 million by 2004.

The committee will attempt to get students involved in the campaign through donations and increased participation in student organizations and activities, said Amy Owens, senator for the College of Arts and Sciences.

The committee also will raise money by selling pieces of the graffiti wall to students and alumni, Galford said. Prices for the pieces have not yet been set.

The committee's goal is to raise $100,000 from student and student organization donations, she said. Members also plan to raise awareness about a possible new student center.

In other news, Josh Wolf, state and federal affairs commissioner, announced a postcard campaign to urge increased state funding for universities.

Ohio's proposed budget allots $2.644 billion for higher education, according to a Jan. 30 Post article. The size of the increase might cause OU's tuition to rise.

Senators will provide postcards and postage for students to write their state representatives to encourage increasing funding, Wolf said. Senators will have tables set up from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. today in Howard Hall. Senators will be in all dining halls, except Nelson Dining Hall, from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

"We're giving students the opportunity to voice their direct concerns about why their government should fund higher education," Wolf said.

Wolf said he also is planning a phon-a-thon between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on April 24 and 26 for student representatives from Ohio's public universities to call state officials. Seven of the 13 universities have agreed to participate.