Letter to the editor: Defending the senior gift drive

To the Editor: In response to David Burrick's column ("Why I'm not giving a penny," DP, 10/13/05): The Gift Drive is an opportunity for seniors to unite and give back to Penn in a way that impacts every single Penn student, not just the students who make it to Mark's Cafe or other spaces. It is about fostering a culture of giving. It is the combination of small gifts that make the difference. In the last fiscal year, over 50,000 individuals (including current students) made gifts ranging from $1-$250. The combined value of those small gifts was anything but small - over $4 million. That is equivalent to 214 full scholarships. Forget a bench. By now we have all met many alumni, and there is one thing they all tell us: Penn is more impressive now than when they matriculated here. We are all blessed to study with brilliant, motivated and diverse students, to learn from exceptional faculty and to be afforded the myriad of opportunities at Penn, all thanks to unrestricted giving. Giving to the Penn Fund enables future classes to enjoy an even better experience than ours. Like many of you, we will make more substantial donations when we are 30. There may be a stone on the Walk, a classroom in College Hall, or an undergraduate scholarship with our names on it then. However, we refuse to wait until we feel our donations are large enough. We refuse to wait while we have the opportunity to give back today as part of a senior class thankful for our years at Penn and dedicated to its continued success. Our gifts will leave the impression you want on Penn - measured not in tables and chairs or stone walkways but in the lives of future students.

Kyle DeDionisio Christina Martin Rebecca Silver The authors are co-chairs of the senior class gift drive

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