Stute Editorial of February 19: Donate

With three weeks left of my tenure as editor in chief, I must apologize if my editorials become increasingly nostalgic. It has been an interesting year to be in charge of The Stute, to put it kindly, and in the waning hours of my administration I have debated internally how I will end my term in the eyes of the readers. While I have never considered myself a sagacious individual, I have realized that I do have a few scraps of wisdom to impart to the general campus body and alumni that I will convey over my final three issues.

On Wednesday night, I attended the settlement talk hosted by Chairman of the Board of Trustees Lawrence Babbio, where he addressed the concerns generated by the closure of Stevens' civil suit with the New Jersey Attorney General's office of the assembled faculty, students and alumni. One of the resounding concerns brought to the pulpit was how the previous month's civil litigations may impact donors' confidence in the school and its governance of the endowment. Several email chains continue to circulate among groups of alumni discouraging potential contributors, claiming that money donated to the school is a direct contribution to an administrator's salary.

I am not an accountant and I detest economics, making my next assertion easily comprehensible by all individuals who have a little common sense and a small amount of affection for the Stevens community: Donate. Most undergraduates attend Stevens at least marginally on another's dime and many on a substantial amount of grants and scholarships. Donate because you appreciate the financial assistance you were given; donate because you remember that without your scholarships you could not have attended college in the first place. Donate to your old sports team when you remember how hard it was to raise the money necessary for a spring break trip. Donate to your old department because you remember how hard it was to construct a senior design project on only three figures. Donate to a club or Greek house because they made the all-nighters worth while, or the library because you recall how important their resources were to your master's thesis. Donate to your alma mater because without it you would not be who you are today. Donate because those currently enrolled are now relying on you, just as you heavily relied on the contributions of others when you attended Stevens as a student.

After graduation, most students are in debt, but few realize the greater debt they owe the school. In the few years following commencement, alumni will have paid off their student loans and, in a few more years, will be able to give back. The Stevens academic gauntlet is far from a cakewalk, but I feel with great conviction that we all will one day graduate from Stevens, or have graduated, with a fond memory or two that we will carry with us and that has made an impression upon us for the better.

Donate because withholding your gratitude does not equate to a smaller bonus for administration but one less scholarship for a prospective student, because it amounts to one less faculty member conducting groundbreaking research at our institution.

I have confidence in Stevens and, given the opportunity to change my undergraduate institution, I would keep the last four years of my life invested here. Even after graduation, the reputation of the school as an institution of research still affects the worth of your diploma. As a contributor, you are afforded the unique opportunity to invest in the future of technology and to be a benefactor of a community greater than yourself. It is unfortunate that only now do I see how much my own academic experience has been made possible by the donations of so many individuals I have never had the opportunity to thank personally. However, I can honor those that have made my undergraduate career a reality. I can donate in honor of those that invested their money in my education; I can contribute to a cause they firmly believed to be worthwhile.

I am still a broke undergraduate, but in May I will receive a diploma that is not the complete sum of the last four years. I owe those years to the individuals that donated and made it possible for me to attend Stevens and because of their generosity I plan on giving back. I hope you will join me.

Natalie Schloeder
Editor in Chief
The Stute