The Student Philanthropy Committee is collecting donations for the annual senior class gift.
The senior class gift is a tradition that involves collecting money from students to give back to the university. Although mainly seniors are encouraged to donate, donations are welcome from any student.
“I think this is a special campaign,” Carrie Sauer, director of annual giving, said. “There are so many wonderful causes to give to and our students are so passionate, but I think we forget that OCU is a non-profit too.”
Sauer said the basis of the senior class gift is for graduating students to provide lowerclassmen with better opportunities. Students can go to okcu.edu/classgift to donate. From the website, students select “make your class of 2017 gift” to fill out the student information form, which requires the student’s name, email address, graduation date, name of school, degree, and major.
Students will choose one of five options to determine where the money goes. The money can either be donated to student activities to purchase benches for the new intramural field or the general scholarship endowment, in which money is invested, and the earnings grow 5 percent each year.
Money can also go to the campus beautification endowment, which is used to maintain greenery and facilities on campus or the study abroad scholarship fund. Students can also write in their own ideas.
“You’re welcome to lobby for anything you feel passionately about,” Sauer said. “It’s really up to the students. I just make it happen.”
The decision as to where the money will go will be determined by graduation, but the Student Philanthropy Committee will still accept donations after graduation, Sauer said.
“Our class really wants to invest in study abroad,” said Shannon Beshears, dance performance senior and Student Philanthropy Committee lead, said. “It’s an area of our campus that doesn’t get a lot of attention.”
Students can also honor a mentor with their donation. It is an additional $10 to honor a second mentor. These mentors are faculty members students feel have helped them through college.
The recommended individual donation amount is $20.17, which was determined by Student Philanthropy committee members due to the year being 2017. In keeping with that theme, the goal is to raise $2,017 by the end of the year.
The Student Philanthropy Committee has raised $1226 thus far, achieving about 60 percent of the goal.
Students who donate $20.17 will have the opportunity May 4 to receive a blue and white tassel to wear at graduation and will be recognized at the Senior Sendoff Dinner.
The philanthropy committee will host events during the rest of the year to publicize the senior class gift and raise money.
They plan to host small events like selling pizza on the quad to raise more money.
“I think it will really pick up now that Spring Break is over,” Sauer said. “Students are really thinking about graduation.”
Beshears said she encourages students to donate to the senior class gift and get involved with Student Philanthropy Committee. Interested students can contact Sauer at 405-208-5873 or csauer@okcu.edu.
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