The Council Of Graduate Students, or COGS, has teamed up with MSU’s Culinary Services and three other on-campus organizations to offer support for tsunami and earthquake relief efforts in Japan.
COGS and Culinary Services — together with Student-Athlete Support Services, or SASS, the Panhellenic Council and the Residence Halls Association, or RHA — raised a total of $6,345.83 through donations and matching contributions from March 28 to April 30.
Donations were collected through canisters at each Sparty’s store location on campus, and store patrons were given the chance to offer donations of either $1 or $5, said Stefan Fletcher, president of COGS.
$3,345 was collected through donations, with Panhellenic Council and SASS matching donations of up to $500 each. RHA and COGS Full Council matched donations up to $1,000.
Fletcher said the decision to support the cause was an easy one, as about 25 percent of graduate students come from outside the U.S.
“COGS is always very sensitive to the humanitarian disasters and tragedies that affect our graduate students, their families and their constituents,” he said. “Issues and international topics and tragedies very much affect our population.”
The total amount raised is in the process of being sent to the American Red Cross, Fletcher said.
Fletcher said the council has received feedback on their efforts from the Office for International Students and Scholars, or OISS, as well as students from Japan.
“I would say that at least in the reaction, our executive board has been very appreciative,” he said. “I’ve received emails from a few different international students participating — the Japanese students expressed their thanks and appreciation.”
Jim Pignataro, the director of SASS, said his department’s strong relationship with COGS led to their involvement.
“When Stefan approached us, we found ourselves feeling a connection there,” he said. “As an office, we thought this was a nice way of supporting (the effort).”
Pignataro said his department doesn’t often receive requests for individual contributions, although individual student-athletes approach his office looking to raise funds for certain causes.
“Something like this is very unique,” he said.
The Panhellenic Council always is looking to get involved with relief efforts, said Kelley Hodges, the council’s president.
“We love to get involved in anything we can really get our hands into,” she said. “I think Japan was all over the news and it really hits home for a lot of people — we really wanted to do what we could do to help.”
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