Fundraising starts

One of USM's emerging student organizations, the Student United Way, will hold its first fundraising event Saturday at the Blackout game against Memphis. Students from different campus groups will ask for donations inside and outside the stadium.


Kyle Nixon, vice president of group, said the role of the Student United Way chapter at Southern Miss is to serve as a liason between other student organizations and the United Way of Southeast Mississippi. "We help raise money and the awareness of the many opportunities to serve – and I feel like it's doing pretty well," he said.


Zach Jones, advisor for Freshmen Associates, called what the Student United Way does "outsourcing community service." He said many organizations on campus require service hours from their members, and the Student United Way provides the opportunity to serve,

Joining the group along with the Freshmen Associates are organizations such as the Student Government Association, Southern Miss Activity Council, Year 2 Initiative, Leadership Scholars, the African American Student Organization (who donated a tent to the cause) and even a local Boy Scouts troop.


The Boy Scouts and their families were able to attend the game through tickets donated by the Hattiesburg American. President of Student United Way, Greg Gandy, said, "It's good for [the Boy Scouts] to get community service hours and it helps us out too."


Gandy had previously discussed wanting to use the Student United Way to link students on campus to the greater Hattiesburg area. Involving the Boy Scouts in the school-wide fundraising event is the first step to making such connections to the community.


The fundraiser is "our first opportunity for students and alumni to pool our money together, and every penny helps," Gandy said. He expects to collect $5,000 for the southeast Mississippi region.


"I am hopeful that it will be a great success," Nixon said. "Even though this is a down time in our economy, the spirit among the Southern Miss Community remains strong."