So, the newspaper-like style of this post's title has definitely taught me to leave the journalism stuff to my brother, the family Media Studies major :-) Although not as snappy and succinct as I would like it, the title of this post is informative. Last night, at South Asian dinner, the closing event of South Asia week at Wooster, GSE 2012 sold South-Asian inspired mock-tails (non-alcoholic cocktails) as one of our group fundraisers. We had a wide variety of drinks to choose from, including the classic mojito, and sangria. We also had a variety of yogurt-based fruit smoothies, and for the more adventurous eaters, drinks like Pepper-head (a fruity drink with a dash of pepper) and Masala soda (a word to the wise, this is not a sweet drink, it contains black salt, so it does in fact have a peppery bite to it). I honestly have never had anything like the Masala soda before, but it was really interesting. I think that it would have gone really nicely with the delicious Indian food that was served at the dinner, but we did not get a chance to really sit down and have drinks until after the dinner was over.
All in all, I think it went pretty well. We raised $187, which was all profit thanks to a generously donated ingredients from the Wooster Ambassador's Program. I think it's a pretty good start, and I heard some good feedback from the people at the dinner. I think this we may be able to have this be a continuing fundraiser for GSE in the future. However, like all first time ventures, there were some kinks that can be smoothed out and worked over in the future. First of all, we had some ready-made drinks that we could basically just pour into cups and hand it to people, but most of the drinks were made from scratch right there, which was actually pretty awesome! We also basically got mobbed by a whole group of people wanting different drinks all at the same time, and the three blenders that we had simply couldn't keep up with the demand. Actually, as I think about this, we really didn't know what the demand would be like for the different drinks, so it may have actually been better to do on the spot orders this year. Now we have a better idea of the demand for each drink, and groups in the future can plan accordingly thanks to the rough data we have gathered this year. The sangria and mojitos were extremely popular, and so I think we need to figure out a way to streamline the production of those drinks. The mixed-berry smoothie we made was also very popular, and having pitchers of that on demand may be a good idea for next year.
So, I think our first fundraiser went well. At the very least, we have started getting the word out about the GSE program, and all the cool stuff GSE students will get to do. Our next fundraiser is actually going to start NEXT WEEKEND! We will be doing and online silent auction. The auction will be online for one week, and it will feature some lovely things such as a gourmet breakfast for two at Mirabelle's Bed and Breakfast (I'm sorry to say that this auction is mostly marketed for people who live nearby Wooster, but please, even if you live in Latvia you are more than welcome to bid if you so choose), a Therapeutic massage, and even a gift basket from SoMar Wine Cellars. For Wooster students, we are auctioning off some professors who will be dining with students, making matching t-shirts, or whatever suits your fancy. *Here's where my shameless advertising plug come in:* COW students, faculty and staff! Keep on the look out for posters regarding the auction. We'll have tabling time in Lowry during lunch and we may even visit you in person!! :-) We would really love your support, it takes a lot of money to send 12 poor college students to India for six weeks. We would like to thank you in advance for your investment in us as students of the College of Wooster.
Alright, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make this blog post into a NPR fundraising hour. However, at this point in the GSE game, fundraising is really important for all of us in the class. It is pretty much all I'm thinking about when I prepare for class every Tuesday and Thursday. It is an important part of the experience, and right now it is the current "experience" for all of us. Bangalore, India is still many weeks into our future, and right now we have to figure out how we're actually going to get there.
All in all, I think it went pretty well. We raised $187, which was all profit thanks to a generously donated ingredients from the Wooster Ambassador's Program. I think it's a pretty good start, and I heard some good feedback from the people at the dinner. I think this we may be able to have this be a continuing fundraiser for GSE in the future. However, like all first time ventures, there were some kinks that can be smoothed out and worked over in the future. First of all, we had some ready-made drinks that we could basically just pour into cups and hand it to people, but most of the drinks were made from scratch right there, which was actually pretty awesome! We also basically got mobbed by a whole group of people wanting different drinks all at the same time, and the three blenders that we had simply couldn't keep up with the demand. Actually, as I think about this, we really didn't know what the demand would be like for the different drinks, so it may have actually been better to do on the spot orders this year. Now we have a better idea of the demand for each drink, and groups in the future can plan accordingly thanks to the rough data we have gathered this year. The sangria and mojitos were extremely popular, and so I think we need to figure out a way to streamline the production of those drinks. The mixed-berry smoothie we made was also very popular, and having pitchers of that on demand may be a good idea for next year.
So, I think our first fundraiser went well. At the very least, we have started getting the word out about the GSE program, and all the cool stuff GSE students will get to do. Our next fundraiser is actually going to start NEXT WEEKEND! We will be doing and online silent auction. The auction will be online for one week, and it will feature some lovely things such as a gourmet breakfast for two at Mirabelle's Bed and Breakfast (I'm sorry to say that this auction is mostly marketed for people who live nearby Wooster, but please, even if you live in Latvia you are more than welcome to bid if you so choose), a Therapeutic massage, and even a gift basket from SoMar Wine Cellars. For Wooster students, we are auctioning off some professors who will be dining with students, making matching t-shirts, or whatever suits your fancy. *Here's where my shameless advertising plug come in:* COW students, faculty and staff! Keep on the look out for posters regarding the auction. We'll have tabling time in Lowry during lunch and we may even visit you in person!! :-) We would really love your support, it takes a lot of money to send 12 poor college students to India for six weeks. We would like to thank you in advance for your investment in us as students of the College of Wooster.
Alright, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make this blog post into a NPR fundraising hour. However, at this point in the GSE game, fundraising is really important for all of us in the class. It is pretty much all I'm thinking about when I prepare for class every Tuesday and Thursday. It is an important part of the experience, and right now it is the current "experience" for all of us. Bangalore, India is still many weeks into our future, and right now we have to figure out how we're actually going to get there.
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