For the past few weeks, @PrezHuddleston, @GTK18 (of college freshman fame) and I have been helping promote the senior gift. Why? Because we thought it would be nice to use our "fame" to give back to the university that has done so much for us.
The thing that I hear the most from other seniors is: "Why would I give them anymore money? I already pay a tuition that is probably too high and I'm graduating so I won't even benefit."
First of all, nice attitude, asshole.
Secondly, how many of you (yes, you the 18-22 year old student) actually pays the full cost of tuition without any help? No help from your parents, grants, loans or scholarships? Maybe one or two of you? How many pay the full price with some help, maybe a few thousand in loans or a wealthy and kind aunt or grandparent? Gee, that's awful nice of them. Helping to pay for your education where they wouldn't benefit.
This year's senior gift will go to the rec center to help pay for new equipment or future expansions. Sure, it may not benefit you, but did you know the rec center used to be the hockey arena before the Whit? And the Whit was built through fundraising and donations? And not long ago the student gym was a "classroom" in the field house?
I didn't realize that we all paid future donations to help built the Whit and the rec center we have today... oh wait, no we didn't. It came from fundraising efforts and alumni donations.
Sure, students don't have a lot of money to give. Believe me, I'll be happy if I can still afford a 40 or two the night of graduation, but I still gave my $5. I gave my five dollars because UNH has done so much for me. I gave my five dollars because I'm not paying for my tuition all on my own, someone (my parents) are helping out quite a lot. I gave my five dollars because UNH students before me donated and that's why I've been able to enjoy my time at UNH so much. Five dollars is not a lot, but it still felt right to give.
If you're a super competitive type, 153 UNH seniors have already donated verses 143 at UMass and they have a much bigger student body than us. Let's kick their ass one final time.
Donate very easily right here.
(You do not have to be a senior to give. So non-graduates you can see improvements for the gym while you're still here!)
Stay classy, not UMassy.
I'm not a Senior but I used to work at the Phonathon here on campus and try and get donations from alumni, including recent grads. The reason people don't want to donate money is because UNH is the most expensive public state university in the country and tuition is killing a lot of people. Yes, most of us are not paying for it all by ourselves but most of us have loans. And no, loans don't "help to pay for your education where they wouldn't benefit". We all are leaving college thousands and thousands of dollars in debt because we have to pay the loans back. So spending a little extra to a school that has sucked our money for tuition, room and board, textbooks, lab fees, printing fees, and everything under the sun, I completely understand why people don't want to donate to the Senior Gift. It's a nice idea but the reality of it is people have already given plenty to this university.
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