Student Groups Organize Disaster Relief Efforts for Haiti

To collect money for Haiti relief, Kenyon Community Advisors (CAs) organized a "Burritos for Haiti" fundraiser, held on Sunday, Jan. 31, which brought in over $800. Hanna Residence Hall CA Jamie Andrews '12 said the CAs had been looking for a campus activity to organize in the first few weeks after Winter Break and decided, in light of the Haitian earthquake, to combine the campus event with a charity fundraiser. The decision to sell six-dollar Chipotle burritos for ten dollars and put the difference into relief efforts seemed like a logical plan, according to Andrews. "College students want burritos and Haiti wants money, and we have money and Chipotle has burritos, and so we could just add a little to each order and donate that extra to Haiti," he said.

The amount raised is "not a staggering amount of money and we wouldn't claim for it to be," Andrews said. "But I think that beyond selling burritos we have raised awareness about the situation, though we are not as committed as some of the student groups who are specifically going out for Haiti right now."

The event was also intended as a campus-wide gathering to share a meal and watch the Grammy Awards. Andrews said it was exciting to see so many people in the Pub for once. "If this is a good event, we might do this in the future," he said. "Ten dollars isn't asking too much for a Chipotle burrito, and the average Kenyon student doesn't have a problem shilling out the extra four bucks if they get a burrito and feel good about themselves at the same time."

The CAs chose Chipotle for the fundraiser for several reasons. There is not a Chipotle in Mount Vernon, so it is not a meal students can have often while on campus. The restaurant itself also appeals to the average college student, according to Andrews. "Our age demographic eats a lot of Chipotle, so it seemed like the right pick," he said. "You have to think of the restaurant that people are willing to go on a trek for and that is Chipotle, because it has this façade of wholesomeness and it tastes delicious and it's huge."

The burrito orders were supposed to arrive at Peirce Pub at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday but were delayed for over an hour. "Despite being told multiple times that the order had to be ready by 6:30 p.m., the Newark Chipotle did not finish making the order until 7:30 p.m.," said Old Kenyon CA Jill Pattison '12.

Pattison called Chipotle on the Thursday before the event to ensure the restaurant could handle an order of 275 burritos. "They confidently answered, 'No problem,' as if they receive orders this large all the time," she said. Pattison faxed in the order on Friday and called to verify.

"I stressed to them how important it was to have the order done by 6:30 p.m. The manager at the time told me she would write that they should be done by 6:15." Pattison confirmed the order twice more on Saturday and then on Sunday. "Not once during the three calls did the Chipotle managers lead me to believe they would have any difficulties completing the order on time," Pattison said.

"I arrived at 6:15 p.m., and it was clear they were not done with the order," Pattison said. "I waited an hour and fifteen minutes while they rushed to finish the 275 burritos. I have no doubt that students were not pleased with the delay. All I can say is that there was nothing ResLife could have done differently."

T-shirts for Haiti

Ken Noguchi '10 is selling T-shirts in Peirce this week and sending 100 percent of the profits to Haiti relief. "I wanted to do a fundraiser because I believe this is really the most attention that is ever going to be put on Haiti, a country that I believe really needs our support," he said.

Noguchi said he chose to sell T-shirts because it doubles as a way to raise funds and to raise awareness for the struggles that the Haitians are enduring. Matt Davis '12 created the design and printed the shirts with the screen-printing club at Kenyon.

Noguchi will be selling the shirts through the weekend or until he sells out. He said he also has contacts at Mount Vernon Nazarene University through whom he may try to sell the shirts.

"The T-shirts are important because they represent the admirable attitude of the Haitians that life is both about overcoming the constant challenges in life, but also about maintaining perspective even in the face of tremendous struggle," Noguchi said. "Paul Farmer, a prominent physician [who] works in Haiti, has said that the Haitians have a lot to teach us about climbing out of hell. I often find myself making such a big deal about a bad grade on a paper or whatever, but to see the attitude of the Haitians [who] survived the earthquake is really inspiring and a good reminder that life goes on."