In the face of unspeakable tragedy, the human spirit stands taller than at any other time. Although the once-daily reports from tsunami-devastated Southeast Asia have slunk to the back pages, Colgate’s firm commitment to relief has not budged an inch. The latest reports from the Indian Ocean suggest that over 294,000 people have perished in this catastrophe. More than 80,000 lives have been added to the confirmed death toll since Colgate students first returned from winter break. Before this semester even began, the enormity of this event sparked meetings of students and faculty, who crafted numerous suggestions for fundraising efforts. Since that time, the massive program of tsunami relief on campus has taken shape and begun to get off the ground. The Center for Outreach and Volunteer Education (COVE) has taken over the reigns of this vast undertaking, overseeing the various fundraising efforts that will stretch over the next few months. “The COVE will work as a kind of umbrella group,” COVE Campus Outreach and Education Intern senior Chrissy Hart said. “Donations will be pouring in from a range of sources on campus, and the COVE will act as a central point into which they can be funneled. These events, in fact, have already begun.” Efforts kicked off Tuesday, February 1 with a general meeting between students and professors in the O’Connor Campus Center (Coop) to discuss the effects of the tsunami. Fundraising began down the hill, where the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) passed around collection buckets last week at every home game. “Donations were collected last week, and $363.43 was collected at five different sporting events,” SAAC Co-President Aaron Weddle said. The Men’s Track, Women’s Track, Swimming and Diving and Men’s Crew teams each collected donations, with the Men’s Track team collecting $280.00 in one night alone during the Colgate-Cornell hockey game. “SAAC is also working with Theta Chi on a wing-eating contest to be held Friday night at 6:30 in Reid Athletic Center, right before the Men’s Basketball game,” Weddle said. Further SAAC sponsored events are expected to follow later in the semester. Elsewhere, an array of events is scheduled for the coming days, weeks, and months. This week, the COVE and the Sophomore Class will be hosting “Penny Wars” at the Coop, where each class will compete to see who can collect the most pennies in their jar. The Sophomore Class will continue its efforts by sponsoring collection containers in downtown businesses and various campus offices. Also, all next week Gamma Phi Beta (Gamma Phi) will be selling baked goods and cocoa at the Coop “All the proceeds we make during the cookies and cocoa sale at the Coop will be donated to tsunami relief efforts already underway at Colgate,” Gamma Phi President junior Desiree Abeleda said. In similar fashion, the South Asian Cultural Club (SACC) will host a fundraising banquet on February 26 to aid those Southeast Asian communities ravaged by the disaster. An official Tsunami Relief Week has been declared as the week from February 23 to March 2. Throughout the week, the COVE will sponsor publications and educational activities. Additionally, relief bracelets will be sold at the Coop. These will cost $2 each and be either beaded or ‘Lance Armstrong-type’ bracelets for the showing of support. Displaying the colors of the various affected nations’ flags, the beaded bracelets will be made by Hamilton school children and local Girl Scouts. Relief Week will culminate in a large March 2 Benefit Dinner in the Hall of Presidents, catered by the Colgate Inn. The dinner, which will be sponsored by COVE and Student Government Association, will feature four speakers, including University President Rebecca Chopp. The dress will be business casual, and admission about $20.00 a head. All proceeds will go to charity. The organized fundraisers on campus are expected to bring in substantial relief funds. However, individual donations will also be an important part of the process. All personal contributions are to be sent directly to the COVE office in East Hall. “All donations otherwise unspecified will be going to Save the Children,” Hart said, referring to both individual and fundraiser donations. “Our total goal is [to raise] $13,000.” With the current size and scope of the response, the goal seems quite reachable. Campus groups, ranging from Greek organizations to culture clubs to unaffiliated bands of concerned students, are working together to show how much the Colgate community cares about the victims of this great tragedy. “The interest has been overwhelming,” Hart said, “and the effort is doing very well.”