A truly memorable Senior Class Gift must be more than just material items that students will soon take for granted or ignore. Senior Class Gifts in the past years have been practical and fun. For example, one class purchased tables and chairs for the Levering courtyard, and another class gave videogames for E-Level. This year's Senior Class Gift Committee (of which I am a member) sought a more meaningful gift for the Class of 2005.
When complete, a stained-glass memorial panel dedicated to Chris Elser and Linda Trinh will be placed in the bridge between the two new buildings of Charles Commons. With this placement we are hoping to link the past to the future.
The goal of this new area is to foster greater social connectivity and enhance campus life. Our gift will lie in the center of the complex, salient for anyone walking along the bridge or the street to see. As the sun streams in through the stained glass, the window will provide a touch of beauty to passersby, and the memories of Chris and Linda will be enduring and inspiring.
Although tragic, these calamities have brought us closer together and given us all the opportunity to celebrate Chris' and Linda's lives and appreciate our own. With the construction of a beautiful new dorm and dining facility, a stained glass window placed in a high traffic area will not go unnoticed by future generations of Hopkins students. Dedicated to Chris and Linda, this window of blue jays, cherry blossoms and spring is both a tribute to their lives and a sign of hope for the future.
Whether or not we knew Chris or Linda personally, we wanted to give our classmates the chance to do something -- and do something together -- in their honor. We wanted to leave something for the school that will not only be a source of rumination and remembrance of our class, but also a symbol of hope.
The budget for purchasing a class gift is insignificant compared to the overall University's budget for enhancing the campus and student life. Therefore, the Committee initially did not approach this year's gift with a material gift in mind.
Finding something appropriate and evocative to dedicate to Chris and Linda was challenging. First, we considered starting an annual scholarship or award in honor of Chris and Linda that would be given to one graduating senior who demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to the school.
The administration was hesitant about this idea and advised us that not only would the undertaking be costly, but also that such an award might get lost in the shuffle of hectic graduation time and not leave a lasting impression.
We considered other solutions and ultimately decided a piece of artwork would most noticeably and fittingly suit our goals of honoring our classmates.The tradition of giving a gift to the University upon graduation is also one invested in the notion of the future -- not only the future of other students who in years to come will walk the same paths to class, but the future we have as Hopkins alumni.
It is with this idea in mind that the Second Decade Society (SDS), a group of alumni in their second decade since graduation, has volunteered to help us to reach our fundraising goal of $12,000, which includes a plaque to commemorate the stained glass.
SDS, hoping to promote a culture of giving and that seniors will stay involved and connected at Hopkins, has set up a matching program for student contributions.
We hope that seniors will take SDS up on their offer, but we urge students to contribute to the fund whether they participate in the three-year program or not. What better gift to not only the University, but to Linda and Chris as well, than something we've been able to accomplish together.
--Gina Callahan is a senior political science major.
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