The Zeta Psi fraternity will come together with PANGEA, Tufts STAND and Banaa: The Sudan Educational Empowerment Network to host a benefit concert tonight to raise money for a Sudanese student affected by genocide. If all goes according to plan, one Sudanese student will enter Tufts next year as a member of the Class of 2013.
The Gentlemen's Bet and A Life of Riley, two bands with members in Zeta Psi, will perform at the event, which will be held in Hotung Café at 9 p.m.
The event will have no cover charge, but the sponsors will fundraise with suggested donations. As for the amount they intend to raise, Zeta Psi President Jeff Stone, a junior, said organizers are not sure but are "hoping for the best." He added that the event's goal was twofold: "One, to raise money and two, to raise awareness" of the genocide in Darfur.
Banaa, established in 2006, seeks to equip young, promising Sudanese who have been affected by the violence in their country with a U.S. college education and other tools to become leaders in the movement to bring peace to Sudan.
Banaa sent its first scholar, Makwei Mabior, to George Washington University earlier this year. Mabior's village was destroyed in 1992 by the National Islamic Front and Sudanese state-sponsored militias. He has lived in a refugee camp ever since.
Next semester, Tufts and Mills College in Oakland, Calif., plan to host the second and third Banaa scholars, respectively.
The idea of bringing a Banaa scholar to Tufts began with a conversation last winter between senior Tyler Shami, the executive director of the Tufts Banaa Campaign, and Jennifer Simons, Tufts' director of international recruitment.
In order for a Sudanese student to become a Banaa scholar at Tufts, he or she applies through the organization's application process and must meet the Tufts application requirements — such as teacher and counselor recommendations and standardized testing — to the best of his or her ability. Banaa received 150 applicants for the George Washington University spot, according to the organization's Web site.
Simons warned that it is not certain that a Banaa scholar will come to Tufts next year.
"We can't guarantee that we'll be able to admit a student. We would like to admit a student, and if there is a qualified student, we will admit and fund them," she said. "I don't want to compromise our standards, and more importantly, put a student in a situation where we would admit someone where they couldn't handle the work here. I don't think that will happen … but I just want to clarify that."
The university will be providing the lion's share of funds for the student's tuition and room and board. According to Shami, the purpose of Banaa's campus fundraising is to raise "extraneous funds that aren't covered in those larger categories."
"Going to college for four years costs more than just tuition, room and board," Shami said. "When the scholar comes to the United States, they'll have access to some sort of bank account that will have money that they can spend on a day-to-day level."
Simons added, "It is very important to us to be able to enroll a scholar, and any money raised by the organization in addition to the student's regular financial aid from Tufts is very important to us … They will have additional expenses that financial aid won't naturally cover, so we appreciate it."
PANGEA is a Tufts student organization dedicated to promoting awareness of global issues. STAND is a national student organization, run by the Genocide Intervention Network, that seeks to fight genocide.
