MAP raises money for relief fund

The Mentoring Assistance Peer Program (MAP) raised approximately $1,800 to help victims of the Sept. 11 attack at an auction this past Saturday. Organizers expect the mentoring program to donate the funds to the American Red Cross World Trade Center Disaster Relief Fund within a week.

MAP decided to hold the auction instead of visit a soup kitchen in light of recent events, said MAP Community Service co-Chair Brian Song, a senior credited with organizing the event. MAP generally has one big community service event a month, accoring to Song.

Holding an auction is "a little different from going to a soup kitchen, but at this time it's probably a little more worthwhile," said Song. "In light of everything that happened Sept. 11, we thought we'd try something different."

The idea for the event partially came from the Residential Advisor (RA) auction, he said.

MAP's budget and community donations covered overhead costs, so all the proceeds will be donated to charity.

Businesses including Port Discovery, Bath and Body Works and the University bookstore contributed products, services and gift certificates. The 27 students in MAP raffled off services such as DJ lessons and home-cooked dinners.

"It's all pretty much profit because MAP in itself has a budget for what we do," said Song. "We really didn't have to buy anything" for the auction.

Organizers hoped the auction would engage students from diverse backgrounds, according to senior Steve Chiu, one of the group's two team leaders. MAP is run out of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

"We were trying to draw a diverse crowd to come out and show support. to show that America isn't just one color," Chiu said. This is in part to counter the national "backlash of anti-Muslim sentiment," he added.

Other student organizations assisted with the auction, said Song.

The event was a success, organizers said.

Song estimated that 90-100 people attended the auction. Some RAs brought their residents, he said.

"The best part of it was to see that people weren't concerned about how much they were spending," said Assistant Team Leader Chung Lee, a senior. "Most of the stuff [being auctioned] was pretty reasonable stuff," he added.

"It was definitely one of the better programs that I've ever seen the staff do. It was pretty high profile, and we generated a lot of money," said Chiu.

MAP mentors freshmen that are minorities, international students or otherwise considered to come from a disadvantaged background, according to Chiu.

Each student mentor is assigned a group of four or five students whom he or she is responsible for guiding academically and socially throughout the year.