Nicholls for Nicholls, a Student Government Association program to assist students affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, has not raised any funds and does not plan to, Damian Breaux, SGA president, said.Nicholls for Nicholls had been advertised as an avenue to donate money, which would then be channeled into the student disaster relief fund set up by the Nicholls Foundation to replace textbooks for displaced students. However, Breaux said he decided the program should not collect money but promote the Foundation’s fund and offer other services, such as a carpool and book co-op.

“I’m not supporting the collection of money right now,” Breaux said. “I don’t want the SGA to be the middle man. I believe there are other things to be done right now, and the abundant source of giving after the storm is fading.”

Breaux said he initially wanted Nicholls for Nicholls to solely be an awareness campaign for the Foundation’s fund; however, additional research and work done by Patrick McEniry, SGA business senator and marketing junior from Morgan City, led the project to grow into a fundraiser of its own.

McEniry said the project called for five plastic collection boxes with locks to be placed in the deans’ offices. McEniry, along with Jennifer White, auxiliary services coordinator, drafted an outline for the collection boxes, which was approved by the deans, he said.

After securing University permission, McEniry distributed 4,000 letters about Nicholls for Nicholls. The letters stated that Nicholls for Nicholls “will raise funds of which 100 percent will go directly to assist our students.” The letter asked for donations to be sent to the SGA care of Nicholls for Nicholls. The letters were sent out via the deans’ offices to be distributed in classrooms, but Breaux said the distribution was not as successful as they had hoped.

McEniry said the Student Programming Association had initially agreed to help fund the $40 boxes, but its support declined when Breaux didn’t back the fundraising aspect of the program. Breaux said the SPA’s decision had to do with the program’s lack of progress.

“We were not making solid progress toward anything,” Breaux said. “Our planning was not in place, so they slid away from funding.”

However, McEniry said he had received proper University approval to proceed and even offered to pay for the collection boxes himself when Breaux confirmed Monday that the program would not collect funds. No one had yet to approach the Senate with a donation.

“I would love to finish the project,” McEniry said. “I think Nicholls should have a direct avenue to help other students. If the students want this avenue, I will make sure it happens.”

No resolution on the fundraising aspect of Nicholls for Nicholls program was introduced in the Senate. However, in a letter to The Nicholls Worth explaining why SGA efforts had not been implemented sooner in response to Hurricane Katrina, the SGA Executive Board wrote that: “Nothing can be conducted out of procedure, which means that planning activities takes more effort than simply coming up with an idea and implementing it. Moreover, the Student Senate must approve any activity that is to be sponsored by SGA.”

McEniry said he did not know who to say was responsible for not writing the resolution. He said the Campus Improvements and Meet the SGA committees had been commissioned to brainstorm ideas for Nicholls for Nicholls, but they were waiting on specifics on the funding for the collection boxes before drafting the resolution.

Breaux said his vision for Nicholls for Nicholls includes three components. The first will focus on promoting the Foundation’s efforts and recommending that donations be made to the Foundation instead of other national fundraising organizations.

Breaux said the Senate has done nothing yet to raise awareness because the semester has been “an interesting ride” since returning to classes from Hurricane Katrina.

Breaux said in the future senators will be assigned to encourage particular active student organizations to donate to the Foundation’s fund through bake sales or out of members’ own pockets. This plan should be introduced to the Senate in an upcoming resolution, he said. Breaux commented that the Senate does not believe donating to the fund is in its place and has not made any financial donation.

Breaux has sent a letter to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg asking him “to lead a drive to raise money to help the Nicholls Foundation” pay for the $187,000 of book vouchers issued in return for the Nicholls Foundation’s coordination of the “Bucks for Trucks” drive in 2001. The “Bucks for Trucks” drive raised more than $7,200 to help purchase a 1,000-gallon pumper from the state of Louisiana to New York after Sept. 11.

The second component, which was scheduled to go before the Senate yesterday, would re-establish a carpool co-op program. This program was an SGA service offered to students until 1997 when interest for it decreased.

“Courtney Cassard in enrollment services recommended that we revitalize the co-op because students from the lower Terrebonne region that flooded after Hurricane Rita were resigning from the University because they didn’t have a ride to school,” Breaux said.

Attempts would be made to match students needing a ride with students in their area who are willing to transport others to campus. An online application would also be created, and information tables in the Student Union would be set up Oct. 25 and 26. The program would be open to all students.

The resolution also calls for the Senate to recommend to the University Administration and Parking Policy Committee to create a carpool parking lot located central to the academic buildings, which would be regulated by an official appointed by the Student Life office.

The third part of Nicholls for Nicholls, expected to be introduced later this semester, calls for the revitalization of the SGA book co-op. The Senate would help match students who want to sell books, which other students are looking to buy at a discounted price. Breaux said this aspect of the program is not being pursued currently but should start at the end of the semester when students are looking to sell their old textbooks.

“I hope out of all this we can at least help one student; that would be all worth it,” Breaux said.