2008 Woodie Awards
Senior gift reaches $15,000
This year's gift will create a communal space in the new Fine Arts Building
By: Annie Flanagan, Contributing Writer
Issue date: 4/6/07 Section: News
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The Senior Class Gift Committee has raised $15,000 toward its goal of $55,000 to create a communal space in the new Fine Arts Building, according to Assistant Annual Fund Director Paul Odegaard '04. Odegaard said he expects this figure to jump soon as graduation approaches.
The committee of nine seniors who were selected by Odegaard based on recommendations from academic departmente chairs, had the task of choosing a gift, setting a goal, and designing fundraising efforts.
"Choosing a gift was the hardest part," committee co-chair Martha Truax '07 said. "We thought it would be nice to be able to have our gift go toward something more tangible-something we could come back to in five years and be able to see."
The committee sent out a survey to all the members of the class of 2007 asking their gift preferences. Truax said that the final decision reflected the survey results.
While the senior class gift for the past two years has been a scholarship, Odegaard said that the committee chose a community space as this year's gift in part because it will be accessible to many students.
"This gift will hopefully reach thousands of people and be around for many years," Odegaard said.
The location of the community space in the Fine Arts building was not by coincidence, according to Truax. "Our specific gift toward the Fine Arts center is important because it shows that we as students care about improving the arts culture here at Mac and want to improve those facilities for future students," she said.
"This gift displays our value for the human spirit, and the human and cultural enrichment that are attained through the arts," a leaflet distributed by the committee says. "The buildings will house future Macalester students, inspiring their creativity and excellence."
The monetary goal set by the committee is $2,000 more than last year, but in recent years the cost of senior class gifts has increased immensely. According to the Development Office, the senior class gift has almost doubled each year since 2004. In 2004 the gift was around $13,000, followed by $25,000 in 2005 and $53,000 in 2006.
The committee of nine seniors who were selected by Odegaard based on recommendations from academic departmente chairs, had the task of choosing a gift, setting a goal, and designing fundraising efforts.
"Choosing a gift was the hardest part," committee co-chair Martha Truax '07 said. "We thought it would be nice to be able to have our gift go toward something more tangible-something we could come back to in five years and be able to see."
The committee sent out a survey to all the members of the class of 2007 asking their gift preferences. Truax said that the final decision reflected the survey results.
While the senior class gift for the past two years has been a scholarship, Odegaard said that the committee chose a community space as this year's gift in part because it will be accessible to many students.
"This gift will hopefully reach thousands of people and be around for many years," Odegaard said.
The location of the community space in the Fine Arts building was not by coincidence, according to Truax. "Our specific gift toward the Fine Arts center is important because it shows that we as students care about improving the arts culture here at Mac and want to improve those facilities for future students," she said.
"This gift displays our value for the human spirit, and the human and cultural enrichment that are attained through the arts," a leaflet distributed by the committee says. "The buildings will house future Macalester students, inspiring their creativity and excellence."
The monetary goal set by the committee is $2,000 more than last year, but in recent years the cost of senior class gifts has increased immensely. According to the Development Office, the senior class gift has almost doubled each year since 2004. In 2004 the gift was around $13,000, followed by $25,000 in 2005 and $53,000 in 2006.
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