If human biology senior Nicole Desautels had her wish, every MSU senior would donate $20.13.
The co-chair for the Senior Gift Committee within the Senior Class Council if each senior in the 9,789-person class were to donate $20.13 toward the senior class gift, a reference to their graduation year, they would raise about $197,000 for students in need.
“If every senior gave $1, it would be an improvement from last year,” she said.
MSU Greenline Assistant Telemarketing Coordinator Rachel Funk announced at the Residence Halls Association, or RHA, General Assembly meeting last week that this year’s senior class gift will be a donation to the Support Our Spartans Student Emergency Needs Fund. The fund goes toward students in urgent need of funds.
Desautels said the last two years, the senior class funds went toward Sparty’s fund, buying the mascot new uniforms.
“We decided (this year) we wanted to do something seniors would feel more passionate about,” Desautels said.
Desautels said, being realistic, the council hopes at least $5,000 total will be raised.
MSU Greenline works hand-in-hand with the Senior Class Council to determine the senior class gift each year, said MSU Greenline Assistant Director of the Annual Funds Frank Tramble.
He said he graduated from MSU in 2009 because of donations such as those received through Greenline.
Tramble said he knows of one case in the last few years where the house of a group of students completely caught fire and the fund helped buy the students new clothing, laptops and class necessities.
Tramble said it has been years since the senior class gift went toward a tangible object on campus, such as a bench or the rock on Farm Lane, which was a class gift years ago.
“Many students come across some type of hardship and can’t make it through, and that could be the student that later cures cancer,” Funk said at the meeting.
Desautels said the gift was also chosen to go along with the Senior Class Council’s theme for this year, “Spartan Seniors Are Leaving a Legacy,” playing off the university mantra, “Spartans Will.”
Tramble said students should realize tuition only accounts for about 60 percent of the cost of higher education these days, and by contributing even a small amount, they are ensuring a positive college experience for future students.
“It is not about pinching money out of students,” Tramble said. “It’s about (the fact that) institutions are supported by their alumni and by their students.”
Collections for the class gift will begin in December and end in April.
Staff writer Greg Olsen contributed to this report.
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