Tagged: Class Gift
Class Gift Campaign 2012
If the Class of 2012 reaches its goal of 2,012 donors, one lucky student will throw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game.
By Chris Kramer (CAS’11, GRS’11)
Last year, Dean of Students Kenn Elmore offered to don a tuxedo and jump into the Charles River if the Class of 2011 met its Class Gift fundraising goal. They met the goal, and Elmore jumped.
This year, the University is offering a chance to throw out the first pitch at the May 15 home game of the Boston Red Sox to students who donate. If the Class of 2012 meets its goal of 2,012 donors, a student donor will be selected randomly during Senior Breakfast for the honor of stepping to the Fenway Park pitcher’s mound, accompanied by BU’s mascot, Rhett.
What is the Class Gift Campaign? Chris Kramer (CAS’11, GRS’11), cochair of the 2011 Class Gift Committee, shares his thoughts:
“Each year, members of BU’s graduating class join together in support of our alma mater by donating to the Class Gift Campaign. The many resources, experiences, and opportunities that shaped our time at Boston University were all made possible by the generosity of those who came before us; the Class Gift is our chance to ensure that those experiences continue to be available to new students for years to come. Participating in the Class Gift Campaign is the first step toward being an active member of the BU alumni community.
Last year, the Boston University Class of 2011 made history with big changes in the Class Gift Campaign, which resulted in record-shattering success in participation and fundraising, and for which I had the honor of serving as a cochair with my fellow senior, Taylor Riley (SHA’11, SMG’11). I decided to help with the campaign because I wanted to give back to the University that had done so much for me—because I love BU. I saw the Class Gift as an opportunity to make a significant and lasting impact on our University, in spite of the fact that I could not make a large monetary donation.
Support for our campaign came from across campus: students, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni (that’s right, alumni are still an integral part of our campus community) all came together to realize our collective goal. Dean of Students Kenn Elmore even jumped into the Charles River to show his support of our campaign.
Photo by Kalman Zabarsky
Class Gift participants can designate gifts to an individual school or college, athletics, scholarships, student life (which includes student organizations), or the area of greatest need. Students also have the opportunity to honor a mentor when they give to the Class Gift Campaign. Like many fellow seniors, I donated $20.11 in honor of my class year. However, I chose not to designate a specific recipient for my donation. My BU experience was influenced by so many different departments and organizations that I decided to make my gift in honor of the University.
Participation shows others how much we care about our University, and it’s also a major factor in the U.S. News & World Report ranking system. Donating to BU is an investment in our future as alumni; when BU rises in the rankings, all of our degrees become more valuable. With that in mind, students are told to give more when they ‘hit it big,’ and to give what they can for now.
The many amazing experiences I had at BU would not have been possible without alumni support. As a student, I worked at BU Financial Assistance, and I am well aware of the high price of tuition and the struggles that many students go through to afford the BU experience and all it has to offer. I was fortunate enough to feel the direct impact of alumni giving by way of academic scholarships that I was awarded, endowed by my fellow BU alumni.
Nearly one year out, I have not quite ‘hit it big’ yet, but I have only just begun my career. I have been working for the Boston Red Sox on a part-time basis, and I recently started a great full-time job with Simon-Kucher & Partners, a consulting firm in Cambridge. Though I am moving on to the next stages in my life, I continue to stay connected to BU, and I continue to support the University with regular donations. I also remain active on campus by supporting the 2012 Class Gift Campaign in an advisory role and participating in various alumni events. Everything I have experienced since graduation was made possible by my time at BU, so I stay involved as a way of saying thanks.
We all know that BU can compete with the top schools of the world. The Huffington Post and Unigo rank BU as the best place to go to college; those of us lucky enough to attend BU know they are right.” ■
Several members of the Class of 2012 have already taken Chris’s advice and share theirs as well:
Parents of Seniors: Make a Class Gift in honor of your graduate!
The Most Generous Class Ever
Photo by Kalman Zabarsky
Last spring, more than 2,011 members of Boston University’s Class of 2011 donated to the Class Gift fund, raising $35,000 for clubs, scholarships, athletic teams, and BU’s schools and colleges. By meeting their goal, the seniors prompted an additional gift of $100,000 from the BU Alumni Council. Can the Class of 2012 top that record-breaking goal?
Dean of Students Kenn Elmore had promised to jump into the Charles River wearing a tuxedo if the Class of 2011 reached their fundraising goal. Watch him make good on his promise.
Video by Nicolae Ciorogan
A year in the life of BU’s popular Dean of Students.
By Corinne Steinbrenner (COM’06)
Photo by Kalman Zabarsky
Who’s the guy with the infectious enthusiasm and the purple bow tie? Any student on campus can tell you, that’s Dean Elmore.
As Dean of Students, Kenneth Elmore aims to ensure that Boston University is more than an institution of higher education—that it’s also a supportive and vibrant community. It’s a responsibility Elmore takes seriously and fulfills with his own beboppin’ brand of gusto. While overseeing offices such as Orientation, Residence Life, Disability Services, Student Activities, and Judicial Affairs (yes, discipline is sometimes necessary), Elmore makes time to get out among BU students, hear their concerns, and share their energy. Here, he walks us through a typical academic year in his very busy campus life.
SEPTEMBERKicking off the year at the head of the Matriculation parade Photo by Vernon Doucette “Matriculation is this wonderful time of the year when we officially welcome new students into the Boston University community. I get the honor of starting at one end of campus—Danielsen Hall—and walking up to Agganis Arena where the Matriculation ceremony takes place, with students meeting me along the way.” “The first week of class, I’m giving a lot of ‘welcome back’ speeches. I try to pop in at hordes of events. There are lots of meetings, and the campus really comes alive during that first week.” |
OCTOBERHosting academic discussions—and Parents Weekend brunch Photo by Kalman Zabarsky Elmore moderated an October 2010 forum—“Are Americans God’s Chosen People?”—featuring two prominent BU professors, military expert Andrew Bacevich and religion scholar Stephen Prothero. The event drew a large audience and was streamed live on the Web. “I asked to host that. I love conversation. To attract the best and the brightest here, BU has to be a vibrant place that challenges and excites them. And it starts with conversation. Any chance I get to facilitate a conversation with people, I’m in.” October is also the month of Parents Weekend and Elmore’s traditional Jazz Brunch, one of the many music-themed events he hosts throughout the year. “We’ve all got a heartbeat; we’ve all got a rhythm. Music is the kind of thing that brings groups of people together.” |
NOVEMBERTweeting from the stands
While rooting on the Terriers, Elmore often sends updates from his smart phone via the social media site Twitter. “Athletics are important, and I’ll tell you why they’re important. They provide venues for the community to come together and sustain itself and reenergize itself. If we get a win, all the better.” “Social media is important, too. I’ve found that it has increased my ability to connect with students face-to-face. Students feel as though they’ve had contact with me, and I think that makes it less intimidating to walk up and ask me a question.” |
DECEMBERHosting “Coffee and Conversation” every Friday, 3 to 5 p.m. Photo by Vernon Doucette “My favorite time of the week is always Friday afternoon. It’s wonderful to have a bunch of students talking at these high levels about concepts and ideas. We’ll get anywhere from 100 to 170 people depending on the issue we throw out on our blog each week. In December we have extra desserts and it’s almost an end-of-the-year party.” |
JANUARYEmceeing the University’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Day celebration Photo by Kalman Zabarsky “Big day for us," Elmore says of the remembrance ceremonies that include a sermon at Marsh Chapel, gospel performances, and guest speakers at the George Sherman Union. "Last year we did something really cool. We decided that instead of getting a big-name speaker, we would let the people talk. We had students and faculty. People were just on the edge of their seats at this thing. We caught lightning last year, and I look forward to what we might do thematically this year.” |
FEBRUARYSitting on the selection committee for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship Photo by Vernon Doucette “I’ve had the pleasure to read those applications and to think about how we shape the future here at the University. The MLK scholars are people who not only engage in meaningful service in their communities but have thought seriously about their role in changing the world. It’s a real honor to help choose those students who will come here in the name of Dr. King. I think it might be one of the more important things I do.” |
MARCHPitching in during Alternative Spring Break Photo by Vernon Doucette “Spring break is usually the time when my professional organization gets together in conference, but I always leave those conferences early because we’ve got Alternative Spring Break (ASB) going on all around the country. I try to get to an ASB site near my conference site and do a little service with the students, and then we all go out to dinner. Then I head off to my parents’ house in South Carolina. For the last several years my parents have been hosting the ASB trip in Greenville. They have the students over, and I help my mom and dad and my aunts and uncles—the whole family comes out—to do a fish fry and a barbeque and make incredible Southern fare for the students.” |
APRILJudging campus competitionsPhoto by Vernon Doucette, video by Tom Segale. “I am often called upon to be a judge [for campus competitions]. There are dance competitions. There’s Mister and Miss BU. And last year I got a chance to judge the grand Iron Chef championship, where students come up with recipes. The food was incredible.” |
MAYSending the seniors off with a splashVideo by Nicolae Ciorogan “Senior breakfast is always the day after the last day of class. We bring all the seniors into this building, the George Sherman Union. They hear about the fun-filled week that’s coming up for them after exams. The President tells them who is going to get an honorary degree [and] who is going to be the speaker for Commencement. I get to be the emcee for all of that.” “Last year I made a bet that if we got 2,011 members of the Class of 2011 to donate to the Class Gift campaign, then I would put on a tuxedo and jump into the Charles River. I knew that a challenge would get people out.” The students met their fundraising goal during Senior Breakfast, “so I had to make good.” ■ |
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