In her Letter to the Editor ("Money talks," March 24), Kelly Kapshandy expressed her shock and disappointment at President Obama's inclusion in the 2009 Commencement ceremony and stated that she will not donate to the University after graduation.
As members of the Notre Dame community know, our alumni are famously generous in their support of the University, and the student experience is made possible through their continued donations. The students of the senior class will be asked in the upcoming weeks to join in this tradition by making a gift to the University. As a member of the Student Development Committee, I helped establish the Class of 2009's Senior Legacy, a fund that will assist future Notre Dame students. If seniors would prefer not to give to the Senior Legacy, they will have the option to donate instead to a favorite program or cause on campus, another opportunity to directly impact student life.
I urge the senior class to remember that pledges to the Senior Legacy, to the Annual Fund, or to the residence hall or club of your choosing benefit the students of Notre Dame. This is our class's opportunity to make a lasting impact, and I hope each senior will contribute to this tradition despite his or her opinion on the University's choice of Commencement speaker.
Lauren Bennett
senior
off campus
March 24
