Archis behind on Paris trip funding

By Margeux Clemmons and Cindy Dinh     2/19/09 6:00pm

Sophomore architecture students may have to incur a larger percentage of the funding for their annual educational trip to Paris, France, than in previous years due to the economic downturn and problematic timing of their main fundraising party, Archi-Arts. Baker College sophomore Aya Matsumoto, an architecture major, estimated that 300 people attended Archi-Arts, the annual formal hosted by sophomore architecture students, short of their expected attendance of 500-600 people.

"I think it was all bad timing," she said. "There were a bunch of events that week, three college nights when we had Archi-Arts, the Lovett College party and 100 Days."

The Archi-Arts Committee, comprised of sophomore architecture students, has raised $8,000 through selling cookies door-to-door, a car wash, hosting Saturday dinners on campus, T-shirt sales for the Archi-Arts party and the superstition-themed Archi- Arts party itself held last Friday night, Will Rice College sophomore Jenny Zhan said.

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However, the committee must raise $2,000 more by their spring break trip in order to match the funds raised by previous classes, she added.

According to Zhan, if they are unable to raise at least $10,000, the architecture students will be asked to contribute $200-300 for the trip, which departs next Thursday and lasts over spring break. The amount the students would be asked to contribute is earmarked for students' hotel fees, local transportation and museum admissions and does not include personal expenses or food costs, which amount to an additional $200 dollars for each student, she said.

In an attempt to raise additional funds prior to spring break, the committee is hosting a concert today from 7-10 p.m. in Anderson Hall that will feature three bands: opener Ryan Horizon from Detroit-based the Ryan Horizon Band, Rapture of the Beat and Stranger Still, who will also play in today's Battle of the Bands.

Tickets cost $8, and there will be free pizza.

Matsumoto said that the additional concert was necessary due to decreased external fundraising.

"This year we actually didn't do as well as other years," Matsumoto said. "I feel like it's because of the recession."

She said previous classes raised money for their trip through Archi-Arts and donations from alumni and companies.

"Even though we're doing the same thing, we're not getting as much," Matsumoto said.

Zhan said they would make a last-ditch effort to raise the money

"I feel like we've done everything; we're probably going to have another car wash," Zhan said. "But it's really hard to convince other people when the economy is not very good and people don't have the money.

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