It is not impossible to make someone you’ve never met face to face smile. The SHSU Speakeasies know this, and are supporting America’s troops with a donations drive for soldiers in Iraq all day Thursday in the LSC Mall Area.
Speakeasies, SHSU’s organization for speech communication majors and minors, established the drive in an effort to give back to those serving the nation overseas.
“It’s really to show that young people here are supporting people there,” said Dr. Mary Evelyn Collins, faculty advisor for Speakeasies. “Some of those troops are going to be there for a while.”
Collins said the drive would “keep (the soldiers’) spirits up in an unfriendly and unfamiliar place.”
Speakeasies will be collecting goods, letters, cards and monetary donations for American troops in Iraq. SHSU students, faculty and staff are asked to bring items such as baby wipes, hand wipes, lotion, sunscreen, sunglasses and tissues for the drive. Both cash and checks will also be accepted. Checks can be made payable to SHSU Speakeasies, noted to the troop support project.
“If a student doesn’t want to shop, 50 cents or $1 will go a long way,” Collins said. “Every cent will be used for the (troops).”
Collins said the army has a post office box specifically for donations, which Speakeasies will use for SHSU donations collected Thursday.
Capt. Christopher Wooten, assistant professor of military science, thinks the drive will boost American troops’ morale.
“It’s a great thing,” he said. “It’s a way for those who aren’t affiliated with the military to do they’re part.”
“There’s nothing like getting a piece of mail when you’re deployed,” Wooten said of the benefits of donating to the military forces overseas.
The drive is a way for everyone to get involved in the war.
“No matter what people think of the war, we’ve still got to support our troops,” Collins said.
Students at SHSU think the drive is a good idea.
“We should give all we can to those poor soldiers who are separated from their families,” said senior Heather Mingus.
For more information on making donations or contributing to the soldiers in Iraq, visit http://www.houstonredcross.org on the Internet or contact your local recruiter.
For more information on joining or supporting SHSU’s ROTC or contributing to the war effort, contact Wooten at the Department of Military Science at 294-3805 or e-mail him at mls_cmw@shsu.edu.