Claflin Students Give Back During Philanthropy Day, Panther Pride Day

Dozens of students and multiple campus organizations gave money and time to Claflin University during the 2015 Student Philanthropy Day, held this year in conjunction with Panther Pride Day.

Students presented a total of $18,625 to Claflin on Friday, April 24. In addition, Student Government Association, Student Activities Board and Pre-Alumni Council representatives joined dozens of other students from a number of Claflin organizations in performing hours of service around campus, including repainting to the mural and paw prints in Panther Plaza and the basketball court adjacent to High Rise residence hall, and cleaning up the campus and surrounding areas including Zan Street and portions of Boulevard Street and Goff Avenue.

This year’s Student Philanthropy Day and Panther Pride Day featured Earth Week activities at Claflin University. Organized by Friends of the Earth, Earth Week activities included a cleanup along Goff Avenue, educational opportunities throughout the week, a dorm recycling contest and a concert celebrating Claflin’s first-place finish in the PepsiCo Recycling 2014 Campus Recycling Challenge, featuring R&B artists Chrisette Michele and JoiStaRR.

The following is a breakdown of the groups that presented checks to the University during Student Philanthropy Day:“We have a culture on this campus of giving back, even among the students,” said Rev. Whittaker V. Middleton, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “A large number of our students are on some type of financial aid, but they are taught that if someone has helped you, then you must help someone else.”

• Claflin University Pre-Alumni Council – $500
• Claflin University Senior Class – $3,925
• Delta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. – $200
• Gamma Chi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. – $1,500
• Gamma Nu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. – $11,000
• Omicron Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. – $1,000
• The Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College – $500

These donations have brought the student giving total for Claflin University’s $96.4 million capital campaign to $162,202.

Emmanuel Pressley, a senior politics and justice studies major and Claflin’s first-ever Truman Scholar, said it’s important for all students to give back to the University.

“It not only shows their appreciation for the investment that Claflin has given them, but it also shows their love and loyalty for the University,” he said. “Giving back allows the University to afford future students similar opportunities that we were afforded. I think one of the biggest indicators of the loyalty and love for your alma mater is the extent to which you give back.”

Student Government Association President Dillon Isaac, a senior biology major, agreed, and said student giving is an essential part of the capital campaign.

“It definitely makes me feel like I am part of something much bigger than myself,” Isaac continued. “It motivates me to do the same thing – whenever I’m pursing any endeavors – to make sure I am always giving back.”