Published: December 10, 2010

Four Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) Clubs sponsored the Gulf Benefit on Dec. 1 in an effort to raise money for the Gulf region affected by the April 2010 BP oil spill, a crisis that some students say has been recently neglected by the media.

FCLC’s United Student Government (USG), Global Outreach (GO!), Amnesty International and Environmental Club were the collaborators who created the event in the Student Lounge of Lowenstein, which was decorated with toy alligators and cardboard birds in honor of all of the animals affected by the oil spill.

The open-mic event offered chicken, beans, rice, cookies, plantains and soda free of charge to those who attended. Winners of the raffle received a $20 gift card to one of the following places: Morton Williams, Dunkin Donuts, MTA, Starbucks, The Flame Diner or Whole Foods.

Ryan O’Toole, vice president of United Student Government (USG) Student Affairs, said he was invested in bringing awareness to the oil spill. “It was very important for Lincoln Center to get involved [in fundraising for the Gulf],” he said.

O’Toole, who spearheaded the event, said he chose the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund over other local lesser known funds because it focuses on “not just cleaning up, but making sure the area is safe for humans to work in.”

Funds generated from the suggested three-dollar donation at the door and two-dollar raffle tickets will go toward the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund, while the proceeds from the baked goods will help cover expenses for GO! New Orleans, according to O’Toole, who predicted the benefit would raise $150 total.

Though O’Toole said he didn’t know exactly where the money raised from the benefit would be allocated once in the hands of the fund, he was “confident that the money would go toward a good thing,”

Monica Hanna, FCLC ’12 and GO! leader for the 2011 New Orleans project, said that while GO! as a whole co-sponsored and supported the event, “the money raised from baked goods will go specifically for the New Orleans trip.”

O’Toole and Catherine Murphy, FCLC ’12 and president of the Environmental Club, both agreed that the clubs involved in the event seemed like a natural fit because they all had the same goal: to raise awareness about social justice and shed light on a tragedy that seems to have disappeared from the media.

Luisa Abballe, FCLC ’10 and former GO! New Orleans project leader, in a speech at the benefit, also stressed her disappointment in how “rarely passionate Fordham’s students are,” she said.

Murphy said the Environmental Club played more of a support role in the benefit, but in the future, if funds permit, she “would definitely like to be more involved” in the planning and fundraising of a co- sponsored event for the same or similar cause.

“We support this cause as well. This problem is not going to go away overnight. It’s great when clubs get together for a good cause,” Murphy said.

Tom Wanielista, FCLC ’12 and Amnesty International’s event coordinator, said the club was “proud to be part of such a successful event.”

Wanielista also said, “Some may think Amnesty International’s human rights focus would have nothing to do with environmental issues, [but] a clean and healthy environment is every human’s right. The atrocities in the Gulf are a clear violation of these rights, and this must be made clear to all the figures involved.”

As of now, no future fundraising events are scheduled to raise money for the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund’s again, but O’Toole said he is looking to hold more “social justice oriented” events throughout the academic year.