Peter Taylor feels a big milestone is the right time to make a big gift. Peter, a reunion co-ordinator for Arts’65, will be coming back during Homecoming to celebrate 50 years since he graduated from Queen’s. It means he is now a part of the Tricolour Guard – an honour open to all alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago.
To celebrate the achievement, Peter and fellow Arts’65 reunion coordinators David Dodge (former Chancellor of Queen’s) and Betty (Crookshank) Muggahare are trying to raise $250,000 to establish a bursary for first-year students.
“We have been beneficiaries of this wonderful university,” says Peter. “We need a big statement of support for Queen’s, the program and the students.”
Arts’65 is one of many classes raising funds as part of their Homecoming celebrations. Most class fundraising efforts support student assistance. In 2014, 41 classes raised gifts as part of their reunion – almost a 50 per cent increase from 2013.
Peter is a math professor at Queen’s and directly sees a number of students who struggle financially. He feels life is harder today for students than when he and his classmates graduated five decades ago. “We [Arts’65 grads] had a wide choice of fine jobs with good long-term prospects and security. Today’s students walk into a world with economic and social challenges that pale compared to what we were faced with,” says Peter. “It’s never been unusual to graduate from university with a debt. But we didn’t keep that debt for long.”
David Dodge – who recently stepped down as Queen’s 13th Chancellor – feels the 50th reunion is a great time for his class to give back to Queen’s. “Queen’s gave me an outstanding education and introduced me to classmates who I still keep in touch with 50 years later. I want to give a young student the same Queen’s experience and chance to succeed that I was fortunate enough to have,” says David.
Arts’65 has never tried to raise funds for a class gift before. Peter feels this year is the time to start. Many members of Arts’65 no longer have children living at home and their mortgages are paid off, so they are in a better position financially to give back. Also, an anonymous donor has agreed to give $500 for every class member who pledges $500 or more in 2015.
“The Arts’65 folks I am in touch with have a good sense of giving back to community,” says Peter. “There is the feeling that the planet has lost considerable ground during the 50 years of our tenure and we want to do whatever we can to correct that.”
A web page has been set up so people can make donations online to the Arts’65 bursary fund.
