Spring Break
Student organizations raise money for India
Sarah Kloepping, Jerica Harvey
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: News
Students living in the residence halls were left without hot water for about a week after a backup boiler exploded in the campus power plant.
The situation inspired various student groups including Whitewater Student Government, Residence Hall Association and Student Entertainment Awareness League to collect money to donate to the Rotary India Water Trust, an organization working to expand the water supply for about 1 million people in 650 villages in Rajasthan, India by building water wells.
Each well costs $300, and the students are working to raise enough money to fund 10 wells.
"I feel that this is an important cause because we are so fortunate to have clean water, unlike many people around the globe," WSG president-elect Alison Rygh said in a university press release. "I feel that we should create some good out of our unfortunate situation, like funding wells for people in India. It is hard to imagine not having access to water, let alone clean water so I think that we should do something to improve the quality of life for others."
Posters put up by the student organizations read, "Think not having a hot shower is bad" Try not having clean drinking water."
Jessica Bedner, a Wells East resident, said at first she was concerned about not having hot water to shower with.
"After I was thinking, I remembered how when I was in Africa last summer on a mission trip and a cold shower was a luxury," Bedner said. "We should all feel blessed that we still have water and that it is clean and pure."
Donations can be made at residence hall desks and at Leadership Development and Career Service in the University Center.
The situation inspired various student groups including Whitewater Student Government, Residence Hall Association and Student Entertainment Awareness League to collect money to donate to the Rotary India Water Trust, an organization working to expand the water supply for about 1 million people in 650 villages in Rajasthan, India by building water wells.
Each well costs $300, and the students are working to raise enough money to fund 10 wells.
"I feel that this is an important cause because we are so fortunate to have clean water, unlike many people around the globe," WSG president-elect Alison Rygh said in a university press release. "I feel that we should create some good out of our unfortunate situation, like funding wells for people in India. It is hard to imagine not having access to water, let alone clean water so I think that we should do something to improve the quality of life for others."
Posters put up by the student organizations read, "Think not having a hot shower is bad" Try not having clean drinking water."
Jessica Bedner, a Wells East resident, said at first she was concerned about not having hot water to shower with.
"After I was thinking, I remembered how when I was in Africa last summer on a mission trip and a cold shower was a luxury," Bedner said. "We should all feel blessed that we still have water and that it is clean and pure."
Donations can be made at residence hall desks and at Leadership Development and Career Service in the University Center.
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