This is the nation’s oldest and largest student-run carnival, and it’s undoubtedly one of the University’s most treasured traditions. It is a fun event that brings the University together with its alumni and the St. Louis community at large. It is also meant to be a philanthropic endeavor that benefits a St. Louis nonprofit long after the facades disappear. In recent years, however, the charitable emphasis of ThurtenE has taken a backseat to facade building.

In an effort to win the carnival’s coveted awards, some chapters will use their entire budget for elaborate facade construction and therefore donate hardly any money to charity. While marketing of ThurtenE has shifted its focus to reflect the event’s relative lack of charitable emphasis, this does not mean that philanthropy should be ignored completely – given the amount of money raised during this event, the potential to make lasting charitable contributions is quite high.

Our first recommendation is that the ThurtenE honorary should mandate that each fraternity-sorority partner make contributions to a charitable cause. Currently, the honorary only demands a baseline fee for chapters to reserve a space on the lot and finance storage. Chapters are encouraged to donate, but it is not a requirement for participation. On a weekend that draws thousands of attendees, it seems ridiculous that some chapters will not donate a single dollar to the cause. In order to meet this requirement, we urge chapters to stick to a pre-determined budget for their facades and to engage in more fundraising prior to the event.

Secondly, we encourage all participating student groups to explore alternative charitable organizations. Because ThurtenE honorary does not disclose the amount of money it donates to charity, there is frequent concern about the organization’s internal finances. Without public disclosure, it is impossible to know whether any significant portion of the event’s fundraising is actually given to the chosen nonprofit. There have also been doubts in recent years about the fiscal soundness of some of ThurtenE’s chosen charities.

Additionally, if chapters chose their own organizations, students participating in ThurtenE would be more intimately involved with their particular causes. Not only would this likely increase the chapters’ commitment to fundraising, but it could also increase students’ knowledgeable awareness of regional issues and volunteer work.

We have seen this strategy successfully put in place by the Beta Theta Pi-Chi Omega partnership. This year, the partnership’s only money for construction came from the chapters, and all fundraising money was donated to KIPP Inspire Academy, a charity selected by the chapters from three candidates. The change resulted in lower funds for building, but stricter budgeting and dramatically increased fundraising.

With increased efforts and alternative approaches to philanthropy, we may find that our memories of ThurtenE carnival will include more than frustration over cold weather and snapshots of facades.

The Inspire Academy, one of 82 charter schools in the Knowledge Is Power Program, intends to provide under-resourced and underserved children with a college preparatory education.

Washington University has pledged a 10-year sponsorship of the program. Jeremy Esposito, principal of Inspire Academy, said he is highly appreciative of the University’s support.

“It has been tremendous to have Washington University as a sponsor because they have wanted to be more than a sponsor in name only. They have been very generous in time, assistance and results,” Esposito said.

Esposito added that the University’s sponsorship has “lent a tremendous amount of credibility” to the St. Louis academy, and this has been helpful to their student recruitment.

The University has also sent student volunteers to tutor students at the academy.

Members of Each One Teach One, a student community service organization, assist KIPP students with their homework everyday for an hour.

Senior Audrey King just started volunteering at the KIPP school. King spent her first session tutoring math and said that the experience there showed her that the students show a determination to succeed.

“The kids were working hard,” King said of her experience.

She noted the long hours students at KIPP work as evidence of their dedication.

An unconventional approach to teaching

The philosophy of education at KIPP is based on a different method of teaching from the one common in public and private schools today.

The KIPP school day starts at 7 a.m., finishing at 5 p.m., and has class every other Saturday and for three weeks during the summer. Because many KIPP students often enter the program with test scores at substandard grade levels, this extended school time gives them an opportunity to catch up. It is also intended to teach them to focus on academics for sustained periods of time.

To help students keep focused for such a long time, KIPP educators sometimes use unconventional teaching methods, such as chanting in math class.

Another unique feature of KIPP is that each school in the program specifically designs its own curriculum. This is intended to allow each school the freedom to work specifically with the resources and skills available to it.

The program also emphasizes students’ ongoing education at home.

“[KIPP educators] work closely to families in the community,” Esposito said. “They sit in the living rooms talking to the parents about everything they need to do to get the student to college.”

KIPP Controversy

Some school officials and teacher unions have criticized KIPP. They say the program, which requires extra funding because of its protracted school time, pulls money and resources away from other area schools that could be just as successful.

William Tate, chair of the education department, says that the department does not take a formal position on the controversy surrounding KIPP.

Tate wrote in an e-mail to Student Life that the education department focuses instead on teaching different sides of the issue.

“My point is that our goal is to educate our students about all sides of the debate and to give them the tools and related knowledge base to make informed decisions about charter schools as a policy option,” Tate wrote.