CSU Alumni gives back to needy children

Raising money, supplies and food for a poor Afghani school in

Cabal was almost second nature for CSU alumni Paul Christie when

nearly two-tons of materials were donated in just a few months.

“The conditions of the (Poli-Chairky) school were absolute

poverty,” Christie said. “They had nothing, but were in school to

better themselves.”

Christie said Poli-Chairky was a 2,500-population school that

housed kindergarten through 12-grade students and described the

rooms as not having a blackboard to write on, but a wall painted

black that the teachers and students would write on with their

minimal chalk.

“Only the fifth through 12-grade rooms would have a pad of paper

to share with each other,” Christie said. “And basically everyone

sat on the floor.”

After visiting the school and seeing the amount of help that was

needed, Christie e-mailed friend and Asian studies advisor, Carol

Mitchell, to ask if the students in her classes at CSU would want

to donate any school supplies they did not need after finals.

Mitchell also mentioned the Poli-Chairky school drive to

administrative assistant to instructional services at CSU, Chris

Bartholemew.

The announcement of the school drive appeared on numerous

Student FYI e-mails and soon snowballed into a mass amount of

winter clothes and school supplies.

“Before I knew it, my garage was full of a bunch of goodies to

give to the school,” Bartholomew said.

Christie said by the time he left Cabal, the Poli-Chairky school

had appropriate blackboards and the stoves and all windows were

either replaced or repaired.

“Also, the fifth through 12-graders had chairs and desks to

study at when I left,” Christie said.

Since all of the improvements and changes to the Poli-Chairky

school, Christie wanted to thank everyone that made it possible to

improve the lives of so many people.

“There was no way to thank everyone individually,” Christie

said. “I wanted to have a little ceremony were I could thank these

people.”

Christie was able to do just that at the College Ram Welcome

meeting for the incoming Liberal Arts freshmen.

The welcome meeting was held Friday in the Main Ballroom of the

Lory Student Center. Opening remarks were given by Associate Dean

for the College of Liberal Arts, Anne Gill, and a variety of

speeches on scholarship, future employment, citizenship, ram pride

and service followed.

In the service portion of the meeting, Christie stood up before

the audience and presented a plaque and folded flag to

Bartholemew.

“When we were overseas, this flag went with us everywhere we

went,” Christie said. “Everywhere we stopped we would put this flag

up out of our pride of the United States.

“I am giving Chris this flag to thank her and everyone else for

their hard work.”