Students find a way to help

By Deborah Lilly

Shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, students approached nursing professor Paula Boley with the idea of forming a team, driving to New York City and helping out any way they could.

“If you’re a nursing student or a nurse and that’s truly your passion, one of the first things you want to do is help,” explains senior Lindsay Babbey.

Senior Sarah Baldwin agrees. “I would have gone in a second with the clothes on my back and not even thought twice about it.”

While Boley recognized the sincerity of their compassion, the idea seemed more impulsive than practical. Even Babbey’s father told her over the phone, “I better not see you on television in New York City. Stay put.”

“A lot of students just wanted to do something,” says Boley. “It’s hard because we’re here in the middle of the Midwest, and we can’t really go there and help.”

Boley and the Student Nurse Association brainstormed for other ways to help. They ruled out a blood drive. A campus blood drive was scheduled already for Oct. 3; anyone who donated in mid-September wouldn’t be able to donate again at the beginning of October. So they came up with “Operation Change Ravens.” They would “scavenge” the campus, collecting change from students, faculty and staff to send to the American Red Cross.

“To me it was perfect for college students because college students don’t have a lot of money,” says Boley, “but if they can put in even 50 cents or a dollar, it makes them still feel like they’re helping.”

In the end, their nickels, dimes, quarters and pennies exceeded $1,134.

“As a student, you don’t like to hit up other students for money. You know how broke they are,” says senior Beth Cain. “But they were ready to give. They had money in their pockets ready to hand you. It was tremendous.”