For SSSF, the price is always right

by Elizabeth Henderson

Wednesday February 22, 2006

"No amount is too much for the [student] scholarship fund," sophomore Katie Hooper said.

Hooper, the chair of the committee for the Student for Student Scholarship Fund (SSSF) auction, is looking forward to a "peppy and upbeat" Price is Right-themed auction on March 2. The annual SSSF auction, dating back to 1958, is the oldest student-run scholarship fund in the nation and is SSSF’s largest and most successful fundraiser.

While generating money for the scholarship fund is obviously the goal of auction, this year’s committee has decided to not focus on raising a specific amount of money, but instead on having a fun event that is accessible to alumni, students, faculty and campus outsiders alike.

For the first time since the 1990s, part of the auction will be held online, opening up bidding to anyone on the World Wide Web.
The purpose of the online auction is to give those who can’t attend the event a way to be involved with the fundraising. The online auction is not intended to replace the live auction. The online auction features forty-one items, ranging from artwork and getaways to a balloon ride for four and a pair of Kate Spade shoes. Online items are geared toward big spenders such as parents and alumni, and the bidding will end two hours before the live event.

With approximately 80 items up for grabs–half of which were donated by alumni–the starting price for items at the live auction are far more suitable to a student budget, with the average starting price ranging from $50 to $60. Hooper emphasized that a lot of the items up for auction are affordable, allowing students to support the school without emptying their wallets.

The items up for auction include a date with senior Max Steele, squash and dinner with a member of the science faculty, a favor from senior Jesse Hensel and a homemade dinner with Ken Schneck, his partner Andrew and their dog Odessa.

The auction will feature Micheal Rengers, Director of Operations and Facilities, Michael Siff of the science faculty and junior Eric Morgan as auctioneers. Price Is Right-themed games, complete with an operating wheel, will be interspersed throughout the night.

Hooper, along with the other members of the SSSF committee have taken "more hours out of their schedule than you would think humanly possible" in the weeks leading up to auction, Hooper said. The SSSF Committee is comprised of sophomore Lauren Palmor, junior Davin Searls, first year Neil Makhija, seniors Lex Conboy and Alex Edeleman and faculty advisor Ken Schneck, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.

Hooper also noted that there had been a lot of students who aren’t on the committee that have been involved as well, including student senators who will participate as "Vannas" on auction night.

With an auction theme that "spans generations," Hooper is looking forward to the uniting aspect of the event: "We want to keep auction alive because it is a valued tradition and it’s part of the whole community-building aspect of Sarah Lawrence."