When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go Shopping

Rumor has it that one student blew her entire Resident Adviser paycheck in order to win the Zac Posen dress (above) she modeled at the 2003-04 Students for Student Scholarship Fund (SSSF) Auction. Then, of course, there was the fierce bidding war over two tickets to the French Open, fueled by auctioneer David Moyer ’04, Kyla Massey ’06, computer science faculty member Michael Siff and Micheal Rengers ’78—the perennial ne plus ultra of SSSF pitchmen.

But it took more than tension to make this the most successful SSSF auction in Sarah Lawrence history. Raising over $25,000 through one of the country’s oldest student-run fundraisers is no small feat. But if you ask Associate Director of Alumnae/i Relations Stephen Sporer, who, as then-director of student activities, served as administrative adviser for the SSSF committee, he merely offers an enigmatic smile. “Everyone came in saying this would be the best auction ever. There was a level of commitment from the students on the committee this year never before brought to the event.”

Still, 25 grand? What was their secret?

Committee member Cole Webster ’06 knows the answer. “Every year, everyone looks at the auction and sees how much potential it has. We took that and put our all into it from the beginning. Once everyone realized how serious we were about raising money for scholarships, everyone really wanted to help out.”

This year the committee expanded “everyone” to include SLC alumnae/i in new and resourceful ways. While the committee has always relied on donations of auctionable items from alums, this year’s group went further: In addition to the usual goods and services, they asked for monetary support as well, and went into the big night in February with more than $6,000 already in hand.

Madeline Goldfischer ’89, a member of the Alumnae/i Board of Directors and seasoned SSSF Auction attendee, was thrilled at the increased involvement of alumnae/i in the auction. “The students did a great job of reaching out, encouraging alums to attend the auction, donate items or make a financial contribution to the SSSF,” said Goldfischer. “They know that a Sarah Lawrence education is expensive, and the auction is a fun way for them to reconnect with the College and directly support the students.”

Thanks to the dedication, verve and collaborative spirit of everyone involved this year, noted Webster, “it wasn’t just an auction anymore—it was a week-long festival.”