food drive

Making the case for canned food -- Students, faculty and staff at Southern Illinois University School of Law are competing in a food drive through Nov. 21. Proceeds go to food pantries in Marion and Jackson County. Food drive participants include, from left: Professor W. Eugene Basanta, co-director of the law school’s Center for Health Law and Policy; Jordan J. Garrison, a second-year law student and first vice president of the law school’s Student Bar Association; Laurie Holley, law school business manager; and Regina S. Moreland, a third-year law student, and SBA president. Photo by Pete Rosenbery Download Photo Here

November 12, 2008

Law school food drive creates friendly competition

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University School of Law students are trying to get one over on the faculty these days.

Nothing malicious, mind you. Just a friendly competition -- all for a good cause.

Students and law school faculty and staff are competing in a canned food drive through Nov. 21. Proceeds go to food pantries in Marion and Jackson County, according to Regina S. Moreland, a third-year law student who suggested the event to Dean Peter C. Alexander.

The collection area for non-perishable food items is inside the Hiram H. Lesar Law Building.

The food drive started Nov. 3 and is going well, she said. Faculty members are announcing the drive in their classes, and there is good-natured ribbing between the two groups about who will collect the most food, said Moreland, the daughter of Alan and Diana Moreland of Herrin.

Moreland is president of the law school’s Student Bar Association, a registered student organization on campus. That group, along with the legal fraternity, Phi Delta Phi, is sponsoring the drive.

The faculty is slightly ahead in the drive, but Moreland anticipates a late collection rush by students. With a crush of classes, papers and final exams, the food drive is an easy, yet vital project, she said.

“You can go through your cupboards and get a couple of cans,” she said. “It’s a very powerful way to give back to your community and put it to good use. I’m excited about this and other law students are also.”

The food drive is a positive for faculty, staff, students and the community, Alexander said.

“This is a win-win because we have a friendly competition with our students,” he said. “But in the end, members of our community who need help will receive food.”

Alexander is not surprised by the enthusiastic support for this and other projects generated by students at the law school.

“It’s not unusual for our students to come up with public service opportunities and ways in which students, faculty and staff can interact,” he said. “It happens all the time at the law school and is one of our trademarks.”

For more information on the food drive, contact Alicia Ruiz, the law school’s director of communication and outreach, at 618/453-8700.