At six a.m. today, I opened the Newsday, our Long Island newspaper. On page 26 I saw a half page article entitled, "He Left Early So He Could Coach Soccer That Night." The article, one of dozens of pages of tragic stories about those who vanished in the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center, was about my former student, Rudy Mastrocinque. Rudy had gone to work a half hour earlier than normal, at 8:30 a.m. because he had to leave early for his daughter's soccer meeting. I wept when I read of Rudy's death by terrorism. I reflected on what a wonderful student he had been back in 1974 during my first year as a teacher at Northport High School in Northport, New York. Rudy was a student government officer, yearbook and school newspaper editor, a scholar athlete, a fine young man, and a friend. I kept up with him on and off since the 1970's, and was naturally jolted and greatly saddened by the news. I phoned a few teachers whom I thought might have taught and remembered Rudy too, then put on the television.
Like most Americans, I wanted to watch the news coverage of the day's events. Not to keep up seems almost disrespectful. News anchor Tom Brokaw was being interviewed and he said, "We're all wandering around in an emotional wasteland." I thought that captured the nation's feelings aptly. As of this writing, a week after the attack, the number of missing persons totals over 6000! How many more such jolts are we in store for? Will there be a peaceful resolution to the problems of world terrorism, or will more die? We are all frustrated, especially at seeing rescue workers crawl by bodies of members of their brotherhood, unable to move them for fear of collapse of steel and cement. These awful events present a problem for all of us, for we want to become involved, yet only those with particular knowledge and skills can be at Ground Zero to actively participate in rescue and recovery.
Students also have great difficulty with disastrous events such as these. For most, it is their first experience with such a tragedy. They may have become so desensitized from tv and Hollywood violence that when they deal with it for real, they are unprepared and uncertain about how to act. As parents, teachers and administrators, we must pay attention to the needs and feelings of young people who face these uncertainties. I spent time discussing these matters in class, giving each student an opportunity to express himself. Yet talking is only one level of doing something about it. Many young people want action and mere talk won't do.
In last month's column I concluded by saying I would provide a sort of primer on student fundraising and I will provide it. But for purposes of this month's column, I would like to share one fundraising activity that relates directly to the victims and families of the WTC attack. As regular readers of this service learning column may know, I am advisor to a student service learning club called STUDENTS FOR 60000 which provides substantial aid, care and support for the needy, locally and internationally. The students do quite a bit with and for the needy, and fundraising is a big part of their mission. Last year for example, they raised more than $75,000, which they were able to decide where it would do the most good.
Our club's first meeting of the year was scheduled for Wednesday, September 12. Due to the WTC attack on the 11th, all after-school activities were cancelled for the 12th. So we didn't have our first meeting, which is usually attended by 150 or more students. Without a meeting, it was difficult to organize any kind of relief activity for the victims and their family members.
On Friday, September 14, I received a call from Jesse, a class of 2001 graduate who was home for the weekend. Always a mover and shaker, Jesse said, "Mr. White, there's a weekend coming up. Shouldn't we be doing something about this?" I tried to explain to him that we hadn't had a meeting and organizing for the weekend would be hard to accomplish. Jesse was persistent. I saw two members of our club, Christine and Tom, in the school lobby and mentioned Jesse's call to them. I asked them their thoughts on trying to organize some activity in support of the victims. Only an hour and a half of school remained, but they said they would try. By 3 p.m. they had 20 student volunteers signed up for what we call our famous "Tootsie Roll" fundraiser. I asked permission from our assistant principal in charge of extracurricular activities who, thankfully, said, "Go ahead. Put in the paperwork later." She was referring to the rule where requests for fund raising activities are normally submitted two weeks in advance for approval. It is always helpful when the administration joins the students and teachers. Such cooperation is essential.
Christine called the managers of local supermarkets for their approval to do the activity. Two said yes. Tom had soccer, and Christine had to do something with her family. I painted three big signs which said, "Help WTC Victims," went to a wholesale shopping outlet and bought two huge bags of miniature-sized tootsie rolls, and gathered two tables and some money collection jars.
Later that night, I received calls from Tom and Christine saying that all was in order. They had scheduled each of the volunteers to show up at their respective supermarkets for four-hour shifts, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., then from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Their task, to stand near their table and sign, greet each customer with a smile and a hello, offer them or their children a tootsie roll, and no more. No hard sell. Just greet, hold the door, and be nice on the shopper's way in. On their way out, they were to shake the jar, and say something like, "Would you like to help WTC victims' families?" or "Can you please help with a small donation?" or another quick line.
During times of disaster, like this WTC bombing, or 1998's Hurricane Mitch, the worst storm in our hemisphere's history and which claimed 10,000 lives, where the images are all over the newspapers and television, the tootsie roll fund raising activity creates quite a bit of money in a short time. At other times, when no such great disaster is present, it does a bit less.
There are important details that student organizers need to pay attention to. For example, follow through is the most important. If a student says she is going to organize, or make calls, or perform a certain task, the advisor's job is to make sure that happens. Every student volunteer must show up for her shift and be properly trained. They are to deal with the public, and many shoppers are reluctant to give. So students must also know how to handle the public and handle large sums of money as well. In addition to follow through and attention to detail, trustworthiness is also important and expected. Usually one or two students are "in charge," in this case Christine and Tom. They direct the operation, either drive or have their parents assist and drive them to each of the store locations to check on the volunteers, give encouragement, and collect money when too much is on hand. The teacher/advisor's role is to do the same: make the rounds, stand with them, if perhaps from a distance so that it is a student operation, but always stay available in person, by cell phone, or even from home.
We have done this tootsie roll fundraiser since 1993, when we were trying to raise funds for our new and growing Nicaragua Project. Back then, when we were new at the task, we felt that $200 per store per day was "good money." Last January, during Superbowl Weekend, from Friday through Sunday, a young man named Tom organized 60 students to cover six supermarkets in frigid temperatures. They broke all records raising in excess of $9000 in one weekend. That money was used to build nine homes for those left homeless by Mitch.
By comparison, Tom and Christine's last minute effort, made without the benefit of an organizational meeting, did very well. On Saturday, September 15th, they counted $2000 from only two stores. Sunday brought the same result, for a grand total of $4000 in two days from only two stores. They found out that our Long Island newspaper, Newsday, is offering to match donations fifty cents on the dollar. So if they want, they can have their $4000 turned into $6000 of relief money.
The students, led by Tom and Christine, have some discussing to do and decisions to make. Either way, these young captains of community service didn't just talk about a problem in the world nor did they just go through the motions, they did something substantial to provide aid for the needy. They are not trained rescue workers, nor doctors, nor influential members of Congress. But they are capable of participating and providing something substantial for someone affected. They are young men and women who are becoming increasingly aware of the world around them and its problems and not turning their back. Instead, they are participating directly and having an impact of their own. And the adults in their lives, including parents, teachers, school officials, the press, can have something positive to say to them -- perhaps the very kind of uplifting thing we all need right about now.