McCandless Hall is using some Christmas cheer and a little competition to help raise funds for Hope Ministries, a homeless center in South Bend.
For members of McCandless to participate, they can go to the hall's front desk and place their donations into boxes.
"At the front desk there is another table decorated for Christmas and it contains four wrapped Christmas presents," said junior Caitlin Ascherl, a resident advisor in the dorm.
"The presents are numbered for each floor in McCandless."
According to Ascherl, the floor in McCandless that manages to collect the most funds gets a special treat.
"The floor that raises the most money for Hope Ministries gets to ‘pie' their resident advisor [in the face] at the Hall Christmas Party this week," she said.
Ascherl said she came up with the idea because she wanted residents to work together and support Hope Ministries.
"I came up with the idea while trying to think of ways to get the first-years involved and excited about the Hall," Ascherl said.
Each dormitory at Saint Mary's is assigned a service organization, and Hope Ministries was given to McCandless. Ascherl said each semester the dorm needs to hold an event for the place it represents, and she said this seemed like a good way to bring the hall together.
"[The Hall is] required to do one event for or with our service organization per semester," Ascherl said. "What better way to create section unity then to come together against the RAs."
They do not know how much money they have raised so far, but Ascherl said it will be counted Wednesday. If the entire dorm raises over $100, there is extra incentive for the residents.
"We find out Wednesday when a neutral party counts the money," she said. "If it is over $100, the Hall Director gets [a pie in the face] as well."
According to Ascherl, the fundraiser has gotten competitive between the RAs on different floors. Currently, she said it "has become a war between the RAs."
Ascherl did say it seems like her floor is not doing as well.
"Right now it doesn't look good for the 2nd and 4th floors," she said. "Sadly, I am on the 2nd floor."
