Education: Passing the Hat

Raising money for scholarships is usually a laborious routine, but four undergraduates at small (1,700 students) Albion College in Albion, Mich., have managed to rake in a sizable amount and enjoy themselves in the process.

“We acted as if we didn’t know what we were doing,” says Bill Healy, 21, an economics major. “Our stationery was cheap and looked awful. Our calling methods were rather blunt—just plopping ourselves in the business offices of alumni.”

One stockbroker gave Healy a discourse on the evils of money and told him that God would take care of Albion’s finances. Other meetings were more lucrative. One of the quartet’s more ambitious plans was to raffle off a trip to the Bahamas, which was technically illegal. But the authorities winked benignly and the students netted $10,000. They also imitated the political parties by staging $100-a-plate dinners—”Beefsteaks for Bernie,” so named after the college’s new president, Bernard T. Lomas. All in all, the four students received contributions from 48 states and five countries, including $5 in Vietnamese currency, two Bibles and an Egyptian figurine. The grand total for future scholarships: $276,824.