Monday marked the beginning of Saint Mary's annual Tag Week, which aims to inform students about the costs of running the College and the importance of donations to the school.
The Class Gift Campaign (CGC), a student effort led in conjunction with the Office of Annual Giving, organized the Week. Shelby Herms, Class of 2013 CGC representative, said students' donations to the Annual Fund go to their class's CCG account and immediately impact the lives of Saint Mary's women.
"Your gifts accumulate over four years so that you can make a lasting and memorable gift to Saint Mary's at graduation," Herms said. "The Class of 2012 donated to the renovation of Angela Athletic facilities, which is one of the options for this year's gift, as well as a scholarship in our class's name."
CGC will host a table in the SpesUnica Atrium to collect gifts every morning this week from 9 a.m. to noon, Herms said. The group will sell mugs that say 'Once a Belle, Always a Belle' at the CGC table in the Student Center Atrium today through Friday. Tag Week BINGO will be in the West Wing of the Noble Family Dining Hall on Thursday at dinner.
While gifts of all amounts are welcomed, Herms said the CGC is pushing for Tribute Gifts of $20.13 in honor of the graduating class. A Tribute Gift is a donation from a student that honors someone who helped with her Saint Mary's education. Each tribute will be published in the Commencement edition of The Observer and the honoree will be notified by email, Herms said.
"I think that [the] Class Gift Campaign is great because it allows us to recognize the gifts of past Belles by giving back to the College like they did," Herms said. "I never realized just how much it takes to make the Saint Mary's experience possible."
Junior Maddy Martin, Class of 2014 CGC representative, said she knows how important Tag Week is this year because of the College's recent Capital Campaign launch to raise funds.
"We are really pushing each class to give to their class gift in order to reach our goal dollar amount," Martin said. "In regards to actual class gifts, the senior class votes at the end of their senior year where they want the gift to go to," Martin said past classes have donated to the SpesUnica building and the restoration of the Sister Madeleva painting. The Class of 2012's gift of more than $20,000 was the largest class gift to date, she said.
"I don't think students realize how much it costs to keep this school running," Martin said. "We take for granted electricity and water bills because they are always taken care of for us. It is important for students to have this realization of just how much the College spends to keep us on campus because they are more likely to give back to the school."
Junior Lauren Bruner, Class of 2014 CGC co-chair, said although asking students for money is difficult, it is important to give back to the College. "Many students, including myself, would not be here without scholarships, which shows how vital donations are," Bruner said. "It's rewarding to be able to give back to the College and see your gift on campus."
Junior Jillian Fata said it is important for students to recognize the changes the College can make through the campaign.
Past gifts have gone to big project, but they have also gone directly to scholarships, meaning that a future Belle can have the same opportunities that we are fortunate enough to have every day," Fata said.
Class giving is a important part of being a student as well as an alumna, Herms said. Last year, 7,450 alumnae and friends of the College made a gift to help with the College's expenses. Twenty percent of the College's budget is a result of this support, Herms said.
"They contributed $10.5 million in gifts to support all aspects of our education - touching every corner of campus, from building new building), to installing wireless internet, to providing toilet paper and hand soap in our bathrooms," Herms said. We need the help to continue providing the Saint Mary's experience, and making a gift is a way to say thank you to all of the alumnae who have made your education possible!"
