Seniors give cash back
By Shaun Bishop
May 10, 2005 9:00 p.m.
As the Class of 2005 nears that walk to the podium to receive
their diplomas, they have been encouraged to participate in a UCLA
tradition ““ donating toward a senior class gift.
But unlike the Royce Hall fountain or the venerable Bruin Bear
““ both gifts from past graduating classes ““ students
won’t be able to take a picture next to this year’s
seniors’ parting present.
This year’s gift is money.
All donations from the senior class toward the gift will go to
the UCLA Fund, an unrestricted funding source which the chancellor
distributes at his discretion to student scholarships, faculty
recruiting and academic programs, among other areas.
Some seniors were not enthusiastic about a monetary donation to
the university as their class’s goodbye offering.
“There’s so many other programs and funds that
already do those sorts of things (like providing scholarships or
academic support),” said fourth-year physiological science
student Elizabeth Morgan.
“I would feel much more likely to donate to something that
would last forever on campus. I think that’s what a class
gift is for,” she said.
But Heather Leisy, director of young alumni and senior class
giving for the UCLA Fund, said the money “goes directly to
help the students” and is intended to “help with
undergraduate education where the needs are.”
“The idea behind the senior class gift is to teach people
the tradition of giving back to the university. The alumni before
them have done the same and continue to do the same,” Leisy
said.
So far, the UCLA Fund has raised about $90,000 for the senior
gift compared to $40,000 from the Class of 2004, the first year the
gift went toward an unrestricted donation to the fund.
A common individual amount this year was $20.05, commemorating
the year of graduation, Leisy said.
The UCLA Alumni Association had handled the senior class gift
until 2003, when the UCLA Fund took over. That year, the fund
decided to offer a specific gift for the last time, and students
voted to donate toward providing lifetime e-mail for alumni. They
chose e-mail among other options, one of which was supporting the
addition of an on-campus pub.
Past senior class gifts include computers in Ackerman union,
benches on Bruin Walk, community service vans, a remodeling of the
Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, and a 24-hour reading room in
Powell Library.
Students have been “very supportive” of this
year’s gift and have not been bothered by the idea of not
donating to a specific tangible item, Leisy said.
Donors to the senior class gift receive a “Class of
2005″ wristband. Those who donate more than $250 get some
additional perks, including priority parking, use of library
resources, and access to networking events.
Adam Harmetz, a fifth-year student on the senior class gift
committee, said students would be motivated to give back if they
had had a positive experience at UCLA.
“Really, we’re nothing but the end of the line here.
I think the experience they’ve had over four or five years
here is what’s going to motivate them,” Harmetz
said.
Fourth-year political science student Trisha George said she
thought the gift was going toward a good cause and she would
participate.
Other seniors said the lack of specificity was not
appealing.
“I think that’s pretty lame,” said T.K. Aung,
a fifth-year electrical engineering student. “A gift
shouldn’t be monetary.”
“I just want to know what it’s actually going
toward,” said Adrijana Jevtik, a fourth-year microbiology,
immunology and molecular genetics student.
Aung, who said he was “waiting for his paycheck” and
hadn’t donated yet, also said he would rather put his money
toward “direct results” in the form of a specific gift
as in years past.
“Anything specific, … something,” he said.
“I think it adds to the overall image and appearance of the
campus, something nice for everybody.”
To donate to the senior class gift, visit
giving.ucla.edu/SCG/donate.asp.
