Group collects aid for quake victims -- but university won't

By Nicole LaPrade

Although Santa Clara is not formally collecting donations to help earthquake victims in Pakistan and India's Kashmir region, a group of Santa Clara students is seizing the opportunity to make a difference.

Intandesh, Santa Clara's Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi student union, will be tabling in Benson next week to collect monetary donations. They will be sending the funds they raise to Catholic Relief Services, one of the major international aid organizations involved with the earthquake relief effort.

"The actual goal is to get a dollar per person at Santa Clara so we can raise over $4,000 right there, which is something we really hope to meet," said club co-president Jasdeep Mangat.

Also, beginning Monday, the group will be holding a donation drive at each dorm's service desk. They are looking to collect warm clothing, socks, mittens, tents, sleeping bags, jackets and umbrellas to send to the region to help prepare for rapidly approaching winter months. Those goods will be donated to the Hidaya Foundation, a Bay Area nonprofit organization helping with the relief efforts.

The Oct. 8 earthquake destroyed much of northern Pakistan, near the capital of Islamabad, and India's Kashmir region.

The quake has already claimed the lives of 48,900 people, injured at least 67,000 people, and has left more that three million homeless, according to CNN.

University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., sent out a mass e-mail to the Santa Clara community shortly after the disaster stating that "because we do not have a readily identifiable agency in the area to receive contributions, we will not be collecting relief funds on campus."

He instead encouraged people to "contribute to the relief efforts being mounted by any number of international relief agencies. A list of agencies may be found by doing an internet search under 'earthquake relief.' "

Chemistry professor and Itandesh faculty advisor Ram Subramaniam said that students and faculty should view this as an opportunity to do something good without having to be told to.

"Even though I was a bit surprised at first, I think it's okay, fine, I think this gives us a real opportunity to show that we don't always need to be told how to do something good. It gives us the opportunity as a community at this university to raise awareness amongst ourselves and to do it our own way, and hopefully make a difference," he said.

According to Jim Briggs, executive assistant to Locatelli, Santa Clara typically looks for groups that are either directly connected with the Jesuits or Catholic Relief Services, particularly those with as low overhead as possible, when holding drives for disaster relief.

He said that Locatelli was not aware that those groups were involved when he sent out the e-mail to the Santa Clara community, so he wanted to leave discretion about where to make contributions to each individual.

"The thing that we're kind of afraid of now is that people have put in so much effort with the tsunami and both hurricanes that the timing of this wasn't exactly great."

"People are so busy focusing their efforts on hurricane relief, which is a great thing, but at the same time there's also stuff going on on the other side of the world that we need to help out with," Mangat said.

In his e-mail dated Oct. 12, Locatelli said that "with each new disaster the risk is that we will become desensitized to the suffering and devastation. Let us all keep the victims of the earthquake in your thoughts and prayers and help as best we are able."

Subramaniam shares Locatelli's concerns.

"We need all the help we can get on this," Mangat said.

Contact Nicole LaPrade at (408) 554-4546 or nlaprade@scu.edu.