Members of the UC Santa Cruz class of 2011 have decided to take some initiative in helping future generations of Slugs navigate the harsh and uncertain budget terrain by participating in the first senior-class fundraising drive in UCSC history.
In the face of the rising individual cost of a UC education, Class Council 2011, made up of 21 seniors, is asking students in their graduating class for donations the council will give to the Class of 2012 to be distributed in scholarships, a task which council members admit can be a challenge.
“It can be intimidating to ask people, especially with the attitude going around the campus because of tuition hikes and the budget,” said council member Sandra Drago in an article UCSC’s website, news.ucsc.edu, “Sometimes at first I get a negative vibe. That changes quickly when they hear this is something that students are doing for other students.”
According to Cortney Kammerer, business management economics major and Class Council 2011’s co-president, the project, which has a theme of “spirit, legacy, unity, and giving,” or SLUG, has an aim to not only raise some money but also to strengthen bonds between upcoming UCSC graduates and the campus.
“There is no big sports team to rally around, so we have to figure out a way to rally around ourselves,” Kammerer said in the article. “Why not make it a positive experience instead of worrying about the budget cuts 24/7? Why not rally around the fact that future graduates will be the next generation of innovators? We’re proud of them. We need to create lasting ties with them.”
If 15 percent of the 2011 class is inspired to contribute $20.11 each, the council will reach its goal of raising about $10,000. In the true spirit of philanthropy, a generous alumnus, who prefers to remain anonymous, has offered to match all donations to the council up to that $10,000 mark, which would mean $20,000 in scholarships for the class of 2012.
