Monday, October 6th, 2008

Class project ‘meaningful,’ beneficial

Members of 'Problem Solving in Teams and Groups' hope to raise $4,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Charity bowling event and beer pong tournament to highlight weekend fundraiser

By Rustin Dodd (Contact)

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

Everyday Kelly Mesi lives with uncertainty.

Mesi, a La Grange, Ill., senior, is one of 400,000 people who live with multiple sclerosis in the United States.

“One day you could wake up and have to take a midterm, and you’re unable to, because you can’t see,” Mesi said.

Mesi has dealt with the uncertainty since May of last year. People with MS can’t predict when the symptoms will surface.

“It’s the inconvenience of it,” Mesi said.

Taryn Myers, Shawnee Mission senior, was studying abroad in Europe with Mesi when Mesi had her first episode, the term people with MS use to described the symptoms.

So when Myers’ “Problem Solving in Teams and Groups” class had to plan a fundraiser, Myers stood up in front of her class and sold her classmates on the idea of a project benefitting multiple sclerosis.

One of those classmates is Maggie McGuire, a Mission Hills senior and a friend of Mesi and Myers.

“We wanted to do a project that actually meant something,” McGuire said. “If you know someone who has been through it, you’re more likely to help out.”

This is the first year that Communications classes are organizing charity events as part of the course curriculum. In the past, students in the class used the semester to create and market a board game. LaChrystal Ricke, a graduate teaching assistant, was the visionary behind the course format change.

“I was a little frustrated with whether the students were getting out what they should have gotten out of the class,” Ricke said.

“I really wanted to give the students something tangible,” Ricke said. “This will be an experience students can take with them. They will be able to use what they’ve learned from this experience and apply it in their future careers.”

At the beginning of the semester, Ricke stood in front of the class and said, “Here is my vision for what I want this semester.”

Students spent the semester in groups, pooling their resources and organizing the event.

The students decided on a charity bowling event and a beer pong tournament to raise money for the cause. The class’ semester of planning will become a reality on Saturday. The bowling event, “Strike out MS,” is at Royal Crest Lanes from 1 - 3 p.m., and the beer pong tournament is at Jet Lag Lounge from 5 - 8 p.m.

The project has caused a lot of excitement among the class members.

“They’ve really taken to it,” Ricke said.

Three of the “Problem Solving in Teams and Groups” class sections are still using the old curriculum, but Ricke said she was hopeful the service learning project will stay part of the class.

“We’ve done a pilot system and it has been successful,” Ricke said.

Todd Brown, Shawnee junior, and another member of the class said the event should raise $4,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. “If you ask me, that’s a lot of cash,” Brown said.

For now Mesi is able to live a relatively normal life, but she’s still motivated to help the approximately 2 million people around the world who are affected by multiple sclerosis.

“She’ll do anything for you,” Myers said. “She’s so determined.”

“The treatments are not the greatest,” Mesi said, “so the more time and energy that is focused on it, the more likely we can find a cure for those 2 million people.”

— Edited by Daniel Reyes

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