Letters To The Editor All Students Should Pitch in with Haiti Relief Efforts

The George Mason University Student Government is preparing for a major Haiti Disaster Relief effort starting Feb. 8. Students, faculty and staff will be able to help through donations throughout the Fairfax campus and online.

There will be three ways to make a contribution. First, collection containers will be set up at certain locations on the Fairfax campus to collect donations.
Second, those with meal plans will also be able to donate their meal plans directly to those in need.

Lastly, Mason will collaborate with a soon to be announced partner and host an online drive. On Tuesday, Jan. 12, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti and caused massive damage to one of the world’s poorest nations.

Estimates claim up to 200,000 people might have died in the disaster. There have been at least 50 aftershocks with magnitudes 4.5 or greater, which have further caused destruction in the country.

Over 1 billion in international aid has been pledged to help rebuild the struggling country, but more is needed. The capital, Port-au-Prince, must be rebuilt and hundreds of thousands transplanted to other parts of the island to enable successful recovery.

Reports state that up to 1.5 million Haitians are homeless, their homes and towns being destroyed. Now, more than ever, is a good time to donate and help rebuild this poor nation. With cities being rebuilt, millions of those affected are literally picking up the pieces of their lives from the ground.

We can - and we should - play our part in the recovery effort that is underway.
As students, faculty and staff of George Mason, we have the power to make a difference.

On 8 February join student body President Devraj Dasgupta, Vice President Tyler King and the rest of the Mason Community and make a difference by being part of a successful campaign.

Let’s help Haiti together! Get ready, help is on the way.

Drew McCusker
Executive P.R. Committee