Despite the informed, global citizens that Chapman promotes its students to be, the major organizations representing the student body are not providing much help in wake of the recent Haiti earthquake disaster.

The earthquake hit a 7.0 magnitude in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, killing about 200,000 people and leaving thousands homeless or missing. Hundreds of thousands are still waiting for food, medical and water aid weeks after the earthquake. An estimated 3 million people were affected.

Chapman is making minimal efforts to raise money and volunteer for Haiti. Though participation is low, some students and groups are providing help through word of mouth, Web sites and on-campus groups. After the earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12, individuals and a few groups on campus feel the overwhelming need to help in any way, but are attempting to contribute regardless.

“The people in Haiti need money now, not after weeks of fundraising,” Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) president Carson Simms said.

Because of interterm, on-campus groups haven’t had enough time to plan much yet, but the Pike fraternity had a donation box for its spring kickoff party on Feb. 5.

Fair-Wear, an on-campus club, helped the Pikes collect money. The club will also ship the money through Red Cross donations. Senior Melissa Alanis runs Fair-Wear, which works to help end sweat-shops in countries like Haiti.

Alpha Phi is donating to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, which helps children in poor countries. Delta Gamma is still planning, but possibly may donate some funds from their kiss booth and may have a bake sale and a garage sale.

In surrounding areas, businesses have picked up where Chapman’s organizations have fell short.

It may have looked like a typical night at the Haven Gastropub near the Orange Circle, but the restaurant’s co-owner Jeff Hall and his staff were working for free.

At the all-day fundraiser “Haven for Haiti,” all profits from the Gastropub on Jan. 25 went to the earthquake victims. The event is one of the local fundraisers that are happening, despite Haiti being thousands of miles away.

“We raised about $10,000 on one Monday night. How crazy is that?” Hall said.

About 300 people came to the event and dozens were Chapman students. Some students, like senior Kelsey Warren, work at the Gastropub. Employees and a Facebook event spread the word and contributed to part of the event’s success. Junior Michael Kent Moore heard about it from a waiter at the restaurant and senior Eric Smith saw the event Facebook page.

“I didn’t mind since with my donation I got delicious food and drink for free! Just one way of looking at it,” Moore said.

Freshman Hayleigh Herrera made a Facebook group called “Chapman-Haiti Earthquake Relief.” The group has some easy ways for people to help Haiti. One way is that people can text to certain numbers to donate money, which comes out of their personal phone bills. The Facebook group also provides a link to hundreds of other text donations and ways to help.

“When tragedies like this happen, we feel sort of helpless and don’t know the right way to go about helping,” Herrera said. “And as a result, we give up and let other people handle it.”

Herrera created the group after she and other students found out about the earthquake and agreed that it was their mission to help. Facebook was the most popular Website where they could reach the most people who didn’t know what to do, she said.

Junior Laila Shad volunteered for a month this summer in Haiti without Chapman involvement.

“I went alone. It was kind of a leap of faith. I didn’t know anyone in Haiti,” Shad said.

Shad worked at the God’s Littlest Angels orphanage in Pétion-Ville. She worked with children because they suffered for their circumstances, she said. Even though she’s thousands of miles away, Haiti is still in her heart.

“Everyone gave up on Haiti before the earthquake. It has so little, and I want to help in any way that I can,” Shad said.


Contact this reporter: crystal.saavedra@thepantheronline.com