On Feb. 17, the FRIENDS Initiative’s Hilltop Auction raised over $3000 by auctioning off dinners with various faculty members to student bidders. Proceeds from the auction will go to student groups in the Office of Volunteer and Public Service. The University, FRIENDS, and participating faculty and students should be commended for initiating this new event.
A first-time experiment, the auction was extremely successful, exceeding projected profit by $2600. Paired together, School of Foreign Service Dean Robert Gallucci and Professor Anthony Lake sold for $725. President DeGioia brought in the second-highest amount at $370. “I’ve been impressed by the students and faculty who worked on this,” said Jacques Arsenault of FRIENDS, a group committed to promoting a safe and cooperative campus community. “We really raised money and awareness for some of the [Volunteer and Public Services] groups.”
In addition to aiding student volunteer projects, the auction served a valuable function for the Georgetown campus community. Those students in attendence were able to see faculty taking an active role in the community outside the classroom setting. For a smaller group of students, the dinners will provide opportunities for them to meet their professors in a less formal environment.
The auction, in addition to similar efforts that will hopefully arise in the future, will help students and faculty get to know one another outside of a stricly academic setting.
The Hilltop Auction was a victory for all involved. All participating students and faculty should be applauded for this successful experiment in improving student-faculty relations while simultaneously reinforcing Georgetown’s Jesuit commitment to service. In the future, student groups and faculty should use the Hilltop Auction’s model for collaborating on similar projects. (diyinspired.com)
