Beat ‘SC Week reveals its philanthropic side with donation rivalries

Beat ‘SC Week is more than just smashing red cars.

It’s also a week during which UCLA shows it can compete
with the University of Southern California in areas other than
football.

“If we don’t beat USC in football, we’ll beat
them through our philanthropy,” said Cathy Nguyen, secretary
of UCLA’s Mortar Board, a national women’s community
service honor society.

UCLA’s weeklong celebration of its rivalry with USC
includes various programs that encourage students to contribute
quarters to charity, donate blood and learn about AIDS.

Members from both the UCLA and USC chapters of Mortar Board will
be collecting quarters throughout Beat ‘SCWeek for the Lupus
Foundation, the nation’s largest non-profit volunteer
organization that helps those with the autoimmune disease
lupus.

“We were brainstorming about what we could do during Beat
‘SC Week, and we thought this would be a very effective way
to help out those in need,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen added that UCLA’s Mortar Board decided to collect
quarters after hearing about a similar event at USC, and this has
sparked some friendly competition between the two Mortar Board
chapters.

Thirty-five members of UCLA’s Mortar Board will be walking
around campus with signs on their backpacks asking students to
contribute a quarter to the foundation in addition to making
announcements about lupus in classrooms.

“The Mortar Board chapters at UCLA and USC are working
together for school and spirit, as well as to serve the greater
community,” said California Mortar Board Executive Director
Diane Selby.

Lupus is most common in women aged 15 to 50. Typical symptoms
are extreme fatigue, joint and muscle pain and rashes.

“One of the biggest problems of lupus is that everyone
knows someone with lupus, but no one knows what it is,” said
Stephanie Pringlefox, co-executive chairwoman of the Lupus
Foundation branch in California.

Money donated to the Lupus Foundation goes to funding lupus
research and education.

The members of Mortar Board are not alone in their philanthropic
activities during Beat ‘SC Week. The Student Alumni
Association has planned a “Get Out the Red” blood drive
for Wednesday.

“The blood drive brings students, alumni and staff
together for a greater sense of belonging to UCLA and their
experience here,” said Ita Nagy, director of campus spirit
for SAA.

SAA is also promoting World AIDS Day, offering free and
confidential HIV testing and information tables on Wednesday in
conjunction with the AIDS Institute and UCLA Dance Marathon.

“Beat ‘SC Week and World AIDS Day are when students
come together to fight something,” said Lindsay Mullins,
director of community outreach for Dance Marathon. “We have
AIDS testing on campus so people can take action in their own lives
and stay safe.”

Students voiced their support for the philanthropy during Beat
‘SC Week.

“Mortar Board and its members have a worthy cause, and I
would donate a quarter, maybe even more,” said Charles
Johnson, a fourth-year political science student.

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