 "Photo: KRT")
 "Photo: KRT")
In the countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, survivors of a catastrophic earthquake and towering tsunami are struggling to rebuild their tattered lives. With friends and family members lost in the tragedy, possessions swept to sea, and homes destroyed, those directly affected are accepting help from whoever offers it.
On the other side of the globe, members of the Boston College community are working to assist those in need through any means available. From donating a sum of money to the cause, to volunteering at a local Red Cross, students and faculty alike feel emotionally affected by the disaster.
For this reason many students will be participating in aid programs on campus during the next few days.
One of the most publicized events is a candlelight vigil, the idea for which was conceived after the tragedy by Anna Rupani, CSOM '07, and Grace Simmons, president of the UGBC and A&S '05.
Rupani felt obligated to help those around her. wanted to do something to include the community as a whole. I knew this was an international disaster...I'm Pakistani. It didn't hit there, but it was close enough. My family is over there all the time. My family could have easily been in India."
The vigil will incorporate two forms of support for the victims: monetary aid as well as prayer and silent remembrance. The vigil will focus on those directly affected by the tragedy, while attendees will be encouraged to donate whatever they can afford to a fund.
The vigil will likely be accompanied by an all-day "Penny War," which will be held in the McElroy Commons. Four bins will be set up and as students walk by, they will be encouraged to drop pennies or other currency into the bin labeled with their year of graduation. All proceeds from both the vigil and the "Penny War" will be transferred to the Catholic Relief Services and Jesuit Refugee Services.
The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) calls itself the "official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church," and typically focuses on "reach[ing] out to people in more than 94 countries and territories around the world to alleviate human suffering and promote peace for poor and disadvantaged people." In this time of need, CRS is working especially hard to assist the tsunami victims in Southeast Asia.
Working under the slogan, "To accompany, to serve, to advocate," the Jesuit Refugee Services are also a Catholic service organization. Currently they are also especially focused on helping those who have been displaced by the tsunami.
Events like this vigil show an immense amount of compassion on the part of BC.
"I felt like I should donate some money...their economy will be decimated for a long time. I can do something to help. It would be stupid for me to sit around and do nothing," said Rupani in explaining her motivation for creating the vigil.
Other methods of collecting include those implemented by BC Dining Services (BCDS), which will be donating proceeds from certain items sold on Wednesday, Jan. 26th to the cause. Each individual dining hall on campus will offer some of its profits on this day to the same institutions that will benefit from the vigil. The employees of Hillside Café, which will be donating the money it makes on large hot chocolates from 3 p.m. to close, appreciate that BCDS is making such a caring gesture. Chris Rich, A&S '06, says, "It's great that BC Dining Services is doing something to help the aid effort. It's a great program, especially since it allows for contributions from students who may not have otherwise been able to donate."
BC students feel privileged to be a part of a community with such a willingness to help. Chris Bedell, A&S '07, explains, "The BC community is very admirable for donating to the tsunami victims and for its commitment to helping others, which can be seen in the volunteering and collecting that is very apparent on campus."
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