Illustration by Arnie Bermduez

Up until now, our loyal alumni were the only ones who could donate to our wonderful school.

Now, thanks to the efforts of the Alumni Foundation, the Dean of Students office and the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, students have an avenue of their own, a way to give back before we graduate and move on.

These three groups are pooling their efforts to create a new student foundation to complement the Alumni Foundation, which just put the finishing touch on a $1 billion fun-raising effort.

Because Campaign Arizona was so successful, the focus now becomes us, the students who stay up writing papers at all hours of the night, eat the student union grub and hang out with friends.

The students of the UA can now give money for grants and scholarships for their fellow students.

Of course, as with many good ideas here on campus, the student body is hesitant about giving more money to a school that is constantly raising tuition, be it right or not, to new heights.

"I'm taking 17 credits, I have a part-time job and already work to make money myself to pay tuition.

I don't have time to raise money for the university," said Mary Hammond in the Wildcat Thursday.

Her sentiment is shared by many students who don't want to pay any more, who just don't feel the need to give a few bucks to something that they won't benefit from or feel they shouldn't have to.

Jason Poreda Columnist

Despite this attitude, this new foundation is a great idea that the student body needs to embrace.

Though the foundation will help out the UA more than most think it will, it is hard to see how the logistics will work.

As much as I love this idea, asking the student body to donate more of its laundry money is not the answer.

Those students who will be on the phones or on the Mall asking students, as they go to and from class, to throw in a buck or two will be met with blank stares and a "no, thanks."

If the newly founded organization decides asking students for handouts is the best way for the program to succeed, the organization will

be in a constant struggle to obtain funds and another good thing will die before it gets on its feet.

The answer to the riddle? Create a new student fee ÷ not an astronomically large one that will cause every student to go looking for a second and third job to afford it, but a small fee of a few dollars similar to the student recreation fee or the KAMP student radio fee.

One or two dollars is not going to put any student out on the street, but when it's added up, the student foundation will have close to $70,000, which will go a long way in giving the new foundation a solid base to get started and continue through the years. "Students right now can help students of the future," said Jim Derek, adviser to ASUA and to the newly founded group.

Every year when tuition talks are raging, one of the biggest issues that is talked about is how much money goes to financial aid.

Many students feel that if tuition is going to go up, then the money should go to new faculty or helping the many struggling departments we have on campus.

The creation of this new foundation will be able to lift the need for more money for financial aid, even if it is a relatively small amount.

As Derek said, we students can help out future Wildcats cheer on the basketball team and laze out on the Mall.

If we students want the university to start taking care of us, then we need to help the university.

It is unfair for the students to sit back and expect everything to work out on its own, hoping against hope that the financial woes of the UA will magically go away.

The students need to take some responsibility and help where we can, whether it be paying a new fee to help our fellow students or going to cheer on the struggling football team.

We have to do what we can.

It is true that many students are struggling to get by as it is, but if we don't acknowledge how much the university is struggling, then we will be hurting each other more than anything.

Jason Poreda is a political science and communication senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu