NYU Freshmen Fight AIDS With FYRE

Freshman students at New York University collaborated for a week of fundraising and awareness in all the first-year residence halls on campus. Community Development Educators John Kazlauskas and Brett Krutzsch head up FYRE, which stands for First Year Residence Experience. This year, the pair combined their ideas and resources to reach out to all the residents in the seven First Year dormitories at NYU, inspiring a campus-wide sweep of events designed to benefit Broadway Cares.

“Our job is to shape students’ residential experiences outside of the classroom,” says Kazlauskas, who contacted the University’s Office of Community Service and Office of Gay and Lesbian Affairs for help in getting the word out about the campaign. “We wanted to do something that would involve students in issues that directly affect them while they go to school here. And, we wanted to support an organization that means a lot to our students. It all fit together so well.”

The week consisted different events each day and night, which ranged from a panel of HIV-positive speakers – from Broadway Cares, Love Heals, Youth Organizers United and Housing Works – which was free and open to all, to a cabaret performance hosted by Broadway star John Tartaglia, and featuring NYU alumnus and Broadway performer Michael Longoria (currently in Jersey Boys) and some members of the Gay Men’s Chorus. Another Broadway star, student favorite Anthony Rapp, took his own night to read from his newly published memoir, and to speak to students about his experiences in both the stage and screen versions of Rent.

Krutzsch speaks proudly of the NYU “Day of Service,” (in honor of BC/EFA) where hundreds of students and 150 first year Residence Assistants volunteered on the same day for various BC/EFA grantees around the city, including God’s Love We Deliver and Harlem United. “That was a great feeling for everyone who volunteered,” he says. “We all came away from that day with a better understanding of what we were doing here all week. It was great to know that each one of our residence halls was doing something to contribute.”

Dorm Wars for the Cause

In the residence halls, the week became a friendly competition. Students rallied to support their own houses in different fundraising activities. The breakdown is as follows:

• Weinstein Hall held a carnival and a tag sale;
• Third North held a staff auction and a bake sale, with all three towers in the building competing in penny wars;
• Goddard extended its penny wars through the end of February;
• Rubin also held a carnival, sold chances to “pie your R.A.,” and sold t-shirts;
• Brittany ’s peer educators teamed up to sell candy or flowers as Valentine Grams – and delivered them to students on campus;
• Hayden Hall held another carnival which featured a silent auction;
• And University Hall had another staff auction featuring “dates” with staff members.

In all, FYRE’s efforts raised over $10,000 for BC/EFA, while bringing awareness to students and volunteer support for AIDS organizations around the city. John and Brett say they’re committed to FYRE’s involvement again next year. The self-proclaimed “two people with big ideas” know what it takes to organize such a big effort now. “We hope to open the campaign to the whole University. NYU students are enthusiastic for experiences like these.”

This campaign was co-sponsored by National Residence Hall Honorary. To get in touch with FYRE, call: (212) 443-3605.