Dividing themselves between EE and CompE majors in a friendly fundraising competition called the Coin Wars, ECE students did their bit for the new building campaign this past semester. The Coin Wars were organized by the ECE Student Advancement Committee (SAC) to directly engage fellow ECE students in the building campaign. According to SAC co-chair Jeff Lale, they chose to divide themselves between EE and CompE to “leverage the existing rivalry between the majors to create a heated and competitive coin war.” The two teams competed to see which side could raise the most money from April 12 to May 1, playfully claiming their major’s superiority whenever the balance shifted in their favor.

The competition culminated with SAC’s May 1 social, where a close rivalry bred excitement and further donations. The competition’s “balance tilted either way quite a few times before finally settling down to the EEs,” said Nikita Parikh, SAC’s Student Advancement Lead. “I distinctly remember hearing a lot of oohs and aahs as the people at the social responded to the changing amount of money in the EE and CompE jars.” At the end of the campaign, the students had raised a total of $680.

Of course, the driving force for SAC’s competitive fundraiser was student support for the building campaign. When asked how ECE students feel about the new building, Parikh said, “We’re not just excited. We’re also proud. Our pride in the new building comes from knowing it’s going to be the largest zero net-energy building. The department’s commitment to making this happen reflects the importance that technological advancement and innovation hold within ECE.”

Nikita articulated that the alumni contributions are what will make the building possible, and part of SAC’s goal with the Coin Wars was to increase awareness of continued alumni support and donations. Lale noted that “a single student’s contribution can’t reach anywhere near the generosity of ECE alumni or corporate donors,” but he sees great importance in student involvement with the building campaign. “Incorporating students in the fundraising process through the coin wars helped make students more aware of the enormity of the building’s overall fundraising effort and the tremendous generosity of our alumni.” Alumni and corporate donations are what will provide the department, faculty, and students with the resources they need to persevere as leaders in the field.

View the Coin Wars photo gallery to share in the excitement of students, faculty, and staff for the new building!