The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Opinion / Letters to the Editor / Awake member argues raising money shouldn’t need explanation

Awake member argues raising money shouldn’t need explanation

December 8, 2006 by Optimist Reader

As a lay member of Awake, I was proud to be a part of World AIDS Day at ACU and the entire week promoting AIDS awareness. Last year the organization raised nearly $3,000 for an orphanage in Malindi, Kenya after a Chapel presentation that featured a video and 250 students wearing orange shirts bearing the message, ‘Are you awake?’

This year, in light of other fundraising efforts on campus and lack of a specific place to give money to, Awake decided to push awareness and proactive involvement in AIDS education and prevention. The ‘Lives Are at Stake’ campaign, as advertised on WorldVision’s Acting on AIDS Website, has been a hit at other campuses. Awake decided to employ this method as a visual way to get attention for the cause. It didn’t demand anything from anyone, but it asked that people take a look at the face of a child whose life is quite different from us here at ACU.

It is true, the pictures of the children that were on the stakes also gave the reader an opportunity to give money to help the kids.

Seriously, prayer is really helpful, but I think sometimes it is more helpful to give a child in Africa some money on top of prayer instead of praying for them for a few days.

I contend that it would have been worse to not at least give people information about where they could give money if they wanted to do more than pray. Regardless of how poor the American college student going to a private university is, the hurt their wallet may feel from a donation is nowhere near the joy the children in Africa would feel from a little bit of food and medicine. Holt was right, all the speaker asked you to do was pray for Benjamin. WorldVision is the one, like their brave employee Steve Haas, asking for money.

It’s a shame to criticize Awake for not being honest when all they did was allow students to choose in private how much they wanted to be involved; there may have been more guilty consciences that led to the money that was raised last year in Chapel, but at least that money was raised. Which is worse, the fact that they didn’t ask for money in Chapel and that there was indeed the opportunity to give money or that most people have already forgotten about the kids and AIDS and will not think about it again until December 1, 2007?

Denton Josey
junior journalism major from Eustis, Fla.

Filed Under: Letters to the Editor

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

About Optimist Reader

You are here: Home / Opinion / Letters to the Editor / Awake member argues raising money shouldn’t need explanation

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
26 Jun

The United Athletic Conference is officially taking the place of the Western Athletic Conference in the 2026-2027 athletic year. The UAC is a joint football effort between the WAC and the ASUN but will now extend to all sports. #acuoptimist #acuathletics #wac #uac

Reply on Twitter 1938240320854008109 Retweet on Twitter 1938240320854008109 2 Like on Twitter 1938240320854008109 7 Twitter 1938240320854008109
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved