Auburn University, November 22, 2002

It was the Friday before Thanksgiving holidays for the students of Auburn University, and all through the campus, not much was stirring. There was one place that was hopping with basketballs, music, school supplies and fun—Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

Auburn University's College of Education Student Council, the College of Education honor society Phi Delta Kappa and the Athletics Department sponsored "Team Up for Education" in an effort to support Lee County area schools by collecting school supplies for kindergarten through eighth-grade classrooms. On Nov. 22, 2002, Auburn basketball fans were admitted to the women and men's games free with the donation of new school supplies, which will be divided equally among the 22 participating schools and delivered by the Student Council sometime after the New Year.

Boxes were filled with new supplies ranging from Crayola crayons and markers to bright folders and binders to copier and printer paper to paper towels and Soft Soap. The Student Council collected almost 1,000 donated items, said Duriel Barlow, Student Council president. Dr. Wade Smith, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership & Technology, is the Student Council faculty advisor.

"I really am so proud of the Student Council because they are here on a Friday before Thanksgiving," said Interim Dean Dr. Frances Kochan. "Some of them are giving up going home for a night to be here to do something good and helpful for the school children in our area. I'm very proud of that and of their dedication and their concern for the welfare of all the students in our community."

Team Up for Education is an annual event that represents a "worthy partnership between Auburn University Athletics Department and the College of Education" and the need for school supplies is something that will always exist so it is also a worthy cause, said Dr. Olin Adams, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership & Technology.

For Student Council Service Chairman Brooke McClinton, a senior from Montgomery majoring in biology secondary education, the event is not only rewarding, it is challenging.

"The most challenging aspect about it is advertising—getting it out and making sure people know about it. We had a lot of help from the Auburn Athletics Department putting it in the newspaper, putting it on the jumbo-tron at the football game, putting it on the radio," she said. "We sent and faxed flyers to all the schools to make sure they knew about it. We went around visiting sorority chapters and left boxes so sorority girls could earn spirit points by bringing in school supplies, and we advertised with signs on the Concourse."

All the hard work paid off as the boxes continued to fill with supplies and the caring people in the community were able to enjoy a free basketball game courtesy of the Athletics Department, creating a win-win situation—and for McClinton, the best is yet to come.

"I think the best part will be actually taking the school supplies to the schools to see how students will benefit from what we've done and it's not just some abstract thing that's up in the air or money, but it is actual things that can be used next semester," she said. "These things are going to be put to use. Of course, teachers' supplies are tax deductible and it's paid for by a purchase order, but crayons and stuff, we can just give it to them and save them that much time so they can devote that to teaching and save some of their money for other things."

Besides demonstrating the College of Education's support to the community, Team Up for Education serves as a way to generate interest in the college and its student organizations.

"It's a wonderful project because it allows the College of Education to get out on to campus and actually show that we are interested in helping out the schools of the communities surrounding us," said Administrative Vice President Lizz Kramer, a sophomore from Marietta, Ga., majoring in social sciences secondary education. "It's just a good thing to do because it also lets the Student Council get their name out there and let students who aren't necessarily in the College of Education know a little bit more about what we do and about us.

"It helps us relate to the community more," she said.

This is one of many events the College's Student Council is involved with.

"This has been a pretty busy semester for us. Our main goal this year has been trying to get more students involved with the Student Council and also to let them know we're here for them," said Barlow, a senior from Montgomery majoring in English secondary education. "In fact, a lot of students have come up to me and I always ask around, especially in my classes, 'What do y'all want accomplished? What do y'all want to see the College of Education do?' I go back and talk to the dean and she's been very helpful and understanding when it comes to the students."

Some of the other functions the Student Council has taken an active role in include the college's Chili Cook-Off in October; holding a pre-Education Interview Day workshop where students were given tips on what to say and asked the kinds of questions that are usually asked during an interview; hosted "Dinner with the Dean" where College of Education students are invited to come have dinner with the dean and talk to her about changes they would like to see and whatever else they feel is important; and a Halloween Carnival for the children participating in Project Uplift.

The College of Education, the Student Council, Phi Delta Kappa and the Athletics Department only form one aspect of the partnership that makes Team Up for Education such a success.

"I'm very grateful to all those in the community who come out and bring their school supplies," Kochan said. "We have a number of people who made financial donations and that's great because it helps us then buy materials that we perhaps did not get and we thank them for that."